It’s What’s Inside

Source: Sundance Film Festival

It’s What’s Inside

Netflix has scored the biggest on-site deal at Sundance so far, pouncing on the horror It’s What’s Inside in a reported $17m deal.

Greg Jardin’s Midnight selection premiered on Friday and centres on a pre-wedding party that goes horrifically wrong when a former friend of the group arrives bearing a suitcase.

William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum and Raúl Domingo produced the film, which CAA Media Finance represented for sales and had been in talks with buyers since Friday’s world premiere.

The ensemble cast features Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Devon Terrell, among others.

It’s What’s Inside marks the second big deal after Searchlight Pictures closed a $10m worldwide acquisition on Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain early on Sunday morning.

The Sundance deal flow has been slower than usual although further deals are in the works and could take a few more days if not longer to close while acquisition teams take time to consider their distribution and marketing pitches and sales agents mull over the offers.

Buyers are deep in discussions on Jeff Zimbalist’s US Documentary Competition entry Skywalkers: A Love Story, and from Premieres Josh Margolin’s Thelma, Steven Soderbergh’s Presence, and Megan Park’s My Old Ass.

Also likely to generate interest is Chiwetel Ejiofor’s drama Rob Peace, the true-life drama of a brilliant student from an impoverished family who attended Yale and dealt drugs in an effort to help his family. Buyers were out to see the first screening on Monday afternoon at The Eccles Theatre.

In addition, Josh Greenbaum’s Will Ferrell road trip documentary Will & Harper debuted in Premieres on Monday and is likely to find a home. UTA Independent Film Group handles sales.