Nate Parker’s ‘The Birth of a Nation’ Sells to Fox Searchlight in Biggest Sundance Deal Ever
After premiering to prolonged standing ovations and plenty of critical acclaim, the slave revolt drama set off the fiercest bidding war Sundance has ever seen, as big distributors like The Weinstein Company and Netflix threw their hats in the ring to acquire the fest’s buzziest title. As first reported by Deadline, Fox Searchlight came out on top, landing the drama in a record-breaking $17.5 million deal, the biggest purchase in Sundance history.
Ziegfeld: Martin Scorsese, Ava DuVernay, Spike Lee and More Pay Their Respects
To mark the Ziegfeld’s closing, Indiewire reached out to some of the top filmmakers, distributors and executives in the industry to share their fondest memories of the theater. In the link above, all of them pay their respects.
‘House of Cards’ Renewed for Season 5 by Netflix, But Creator Beau Willimon Won’t Return
The creator and showrunner of the first four seasons of “House of Cards” is exiting the series he helped build into one of television’s most heralded dramas, but that doesn’t mean the show will end. Netflix has picked up Season 5 of the political thriller from production company Media Rights Capital. It just won’t have Willimon’s hand to guide the new edition.
Is Sundance Too Big for its Own Good? Founder Robert Redford Proposes Big Changes
One of his ideas to combat overgrowth is to break Sundance up into multiple sections and spread them out over different months. Instead of cramming all sections into one week — from narratives to documentaries, shorts, New Frontier, revivals and more — Redford is toying with having some sections play in January and others in February.
Woody Allen to Star in His Amazon Series Opposite…Miley Cyrus?
Allen has cast Miley Cyrus (who recently appeared in Sofia Coppola’s Netflix special, ” A Very Murray Christmas”) and Elaine May in his upcoming Amazon series. Allen worked with May in “Small Time Crooks,” but this will be his first venture with Cyrus, who has not starred in a TV series since “Hannah Montana” ended in 2011.
Shonda Rhimes Puts Hollywood in Its Place With Rousing PGA Speech: ‘I Deserve This’
The mega-producer behind hits like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder” was honored at the event with the Producers Guild’s Norman Lear Award for Achievement in Television, and she used her time on stage to deliver a rousing speech that put Hollywood in its place and made clear why she’s one of the boldest and most beloved producers in the business.
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