TWC reportedly buys the true-story movie about the Grant tragedy for a reported $2.5 million, including guarantees to a sizeable theatrical release.
- Jan 22, 2013
AceShowbiz - Another audience-favorite film has found its buyer during the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. On Monday, January 21, The Weinstein Company officially acquired the rights to "Fruitvale" for a reported $2.5 million. The deal also included guarantees to a sizable theatrical release, according to Variety.
TWC won the deal after having a heated bidding with some other studios. The film, which garnered positive reviews after it was screened over the weekend, drew intense interest from Fox Searchlight and Paramount Pictures. Following the screening, some people even began to predict that it could be a potential audience award winner.
Based on a true-life police shooting, "Fruitvale" stars Michael B. Jordan as Oscar Grant, a young Bay Area resident who was detained and killed by BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) cops in Oakland on New Year's Eve in 2008. The event was captured on camera, and the ensuing trial and its verdict spurred protests and riots.
The film, which premiered on January 19 as part of Sundance's U.S. Dramatic Competition at the MARC, also stars Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray and Ahna O'Reilly. Forest Whitaker serves as the producer alongside Nina Yang Bongiovi.
Earlier this week, it was Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut "Don Jon's Addiction" which found its distributor. The sexy dramedy reportedly was picked by Relativity Media for a record-breaking $4 million, the biggest deal ever at Sundance.
