EXCLUSIVE: Netflix is approaching an agreement to acquire worldwide rights for Passage, the drama directed and scripted by Rebecca Hall and starring Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, Andre Holland and Alexander Skarsgard. Sources said the deal would close at about $ 15.75 million.
The drama is about two African American women who can “pretend” to be white and who chose to live on opposite sides of the color line in 1929 in New York. Drama is a convincing exploration of racial and gender identity, performance, obsession and repression. Passage competed in the US Drama Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.
Together with CODA, was the most anticipated acquisition title to reach Sundance and, with this deal, it does not disappoint. The film is a real statement of female empowerment, with Hall making her directorial debut in Nella Larsen’s soap opera, and Thompson and Negga turning into powerful performances. Netflix competed in a field of five bidders and will make one of its most important award streaming releases with a theatrical distribution component.
Pic is produced by Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi and Margot Hand. Film4 is a co-financier. Daniel Battsek, Ollie Madden, Lauren Dark, Joseph Restaino, Dori Rath, Oren Moverman, Angela Robinson, Erika Hampson, Michael Y Chow, Kevin A Lin, Brenda Robinson, Chaz Ebert, Yvonne Huff, Christopher Liu, Arcadiy Golubovich, David Gendron, and Ali Jazayeri are executive producers.
The deal was brokered by Endeavor Content.
This gives two highly successful businesses at Sundance, after Apple acquired CODA for $ 25 million. There will be many sales after the end of this virtual Sundance festival, but it was expected that they would be the biggest in a market with Covid’s adversity. Mission Accomplished.
Sundance review: Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga in Rebecca Hall’s ‘Passing’