Apple TV+ snapped up CODA, a coming-of-age movie screened at this year’s virtual 2021 Sundance Film Festival. The $25 million acquisition, which followed a bidding battle between Apple and Amazon, set a new record for Sundance.
Deadline reports:
“Writer-director Siân Heder’s coming-of-age drama is about a high school senior who is the only hearing person in her deaf family and is torn between holding together that unit or seeking her own dreams. The film premiered opening night in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. Buyers loved it, and it became clear yesterday that its value to distributors was heading into the stratosphere, after receiving glowing reviews and reaction from buyers.”
CODA is a remake of the 2014 French movie La Famille Bélier. The title is an acronym for “Child of Deaf Adults.”
In its opening-night review of the film, Deadline predicted CODA would become a hit:
With deaf actors including Children of a Lesser God Oscar winner Marlee Matlin, refreshingly cast here in an irresistible mixed ensemble, and scenes that aren’t afraid to play in silence for a hearing audience, this film based on the award-winning French hit La famille belier is a breath of fresh air that grabbed the prestigious opening-night slot for the U.S. Dramatic Competition and proves a real crowd pleaser with great potential to be a breakout smash for whatever distributor snaps it up. It hits you right in the heart, not only as a moving story of what it means to be in a family, but also one about becoming your own person and following a dream.
Apple’s latest big Sundance purchase
This isn’t Cupertino’s first Sundance purchase as the company seeks to build out a compelling catalog of movies and TV shows for Apple TV+. Launched a little over a year ago, the streaming service faces stiff competition from established players like Netflix as well as upstarts like Disney+.
Last year, Apple bought the rights to political summer camp documentary Boys State after it screened at Sundance. The film, which won the festival’s Grand Jury Prize for documentary, debuted on Apple TV+ in August.
The deal to buy CODA was led by Apple TV+ bosses Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht. Apple also made other big film festival purchases, including the Antoine Fuqua and Will Smith runaway slave drama Emancipation.
“I have been so moved by the outpouring of response to the film and am so excited to have found a partner in Apple that loves and deeply gets this movie, the spirit in which it was created and is committed to having this film reach the widest audience possible in a thoughtful and meaningful way,” Siân Heder said in a statement.
It’s not yet clear when CODA will debut on Apple TV+. Apple TV+ currently has a number of big movies in various stages of distribution and production. The list includes Cherry, the first movie made by the Russo brothers since Avengers: Endgame, as well as the next Martin Scorsese movie.
Apple reportedly made winning awards a big part of its Apple TV+ strategy. From the sound of it, CODA could very well become a strong contender for industry accolades.
Source: Deadline
