Searchlight Nabs ‘Theater Camp’ for $10 Million After Sundance Bidding War, Will Give Comedy Theatrical Release
thewrap.comSearchlight has won a fierce bidding war for one of the buzziest Sundance crowd-pleasers. The Disney-owned distributor has closed a deal for the well-reviewed and well-received “Theater Camp,” with distribution rights going for around $10 million.
The feature adaptation of Nick Lieberman’s 2020 short film of the same name will receive a theatrical release. It premiered in the dramatic competition on Saturday afternoon at the Eccles Theater in Park City and received a standing ovation.In their feature directorial debut, Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman helm this comedy about a kids’ theater camp in upstate New York.
When AdirondACTS’ founder (Amy Sedaris) goes into a coma, the staff must collaborate with her “crypto bro” son (Jimmy Tatro) to keep it from shutting down.
Gordon and Lieberman wrote the script with Ben Platt and Noah Galvin, based on their 2020 short film of the same name. The cast is a who’s who of comedic talent: Sedaris, Tatro, Gordon, Galvin and Platt star alongside Patti Harrison, Ayo Edebiri, Owen Thiele, “Minari”s Alan Kim and more.Erik Feig, Samie Kim Falvey and Julia Hammer produced the project for Picturestart; Maria Zuckerman and Ryan Heller produced for Topic Studios; and Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum, Alex Brown and Mary Bundy produced for Gloria Sanchez Productions.The Searchlight acquisition stands as a key victory for non-streamers after Netflix swooped in and offered up $20 million for “Fair Play.” “Theater Camp” is the second big sale of the festival and a sign that this year’s big deals won’t just be about streaming platforms stocking up on content. .
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