It took several days, but Neon has emerged as the victor in the bidding battle for Together, writer-director Michael Shanks' Sundance crowd-pleaser that stars Dave Franco, Alison Brie, and Damon Herriman.
The film, which premiered as part of the festival's high-octane Midnight section, fielded offers from every significant indie buyer. The romantic horror-comedy was an immediate crowd-pleaser, with a rumored purchase price of nearly $20 million. That, in and of itself, is a tremendous haul for a festival film. It's even more impressive for a Midnight entry.
Per the official logline, the film follows a couple as they make a big move to the countryside. The relocation stresses an already starving relationship, but a supernatural encounter kickstarts an intense transformation of their love, lives, and flesh.
Though sales have been slow this year, that isn't a huge surprise. With numerous buyers arriving in Park City shortly after the LA wildfires demolished their homes, many have been distracted from making big deals. Give the features time to breathe; I expect the transactions to pick up over the next few weeks.
The Neon deal, the first of this year's festival, is for worldwide rights. A guaranteed theatrical play was part of the negotiation, with the studio announcing an August 1 release date.
