HEADLINES
‘Split’ Stuns With $40.2 Million Opening Weekend
At 3,038 theaters, Split premiered to a solid B+ grade on CinemaScore and an astounding $40.2 million in ticket sales — more than the debut grosses of The Sixth Sense ($26.7 million) and Unbreakable ($30.3 million). (EW)
James Cameron And Tim Miller Teaming On A New ‘Terminator’ Movie
SUNDANCE ROUNDUP
Sundance: Amazon Acquires ‘The Big Sick’ For $12 Million
In what appears to be the first major sale of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Amazon has acquired U.S. rights for The Big Sick for a reported $12 million. A bidding war between executives at Fox Searchlight, Netflix, Focus Features and Amazon began shortly after the film’s premiere. (FOR)
Focus Features To Acquire ‘Thoroughbred’
Focus Features is closing in on acquiring Thoroughbred, after some competitive bidding. The deal is reportedly in the $5 million range and drew interest from buyers that included The Orchard and Netflix. (WRAP)
The Orchard Acquires ‘The Hero’ Starring Sam Elliott
Brett Haley’s drama premiered Saturday in the Sundance Film Festival’s U.S. Dramatic Competition. (IW)
Neon In Mid-7 Figure NA Rights Deal For ‘Ingrid Goes West’: Sundance
Tom Quinn and Tim League’s upstart distribution company Neon has made a NA rights deal for around $3 million on Ingrid Goes West, the Matt Spicer-directed drama that premiered Friday night. (DH)
Bleecker Street Nabs ‘Nostalgia’ With Jon Hamm, Ellen Burstyn
Bleecker Street has nabbed North American distribution rights to Nostalgia. Mark Pellington directs with a cast that includes Jon Hamm, Ellen Burstyn, Catherine Keener, Bruce Dern, Nick Offerman, Amber Tamblyn, John Ortiz, and James LeGros. (VAR)
Sundance: Sony Classics Nabs 1960s Nun Drama ‘Novitiate’
Sony Classics is heading to the convent with Novitiate. The specialty label has acquired worldwide rights to the Maggie Betts-helmed film for mid-seven figures. (THR)
The Orchard And CNN Acquire Documentary ‘Trophy’
The doc that premiered at Sundance Friday looks at the evolving relationship between big-game hunting and wildlife conservation. (IW)