“CODA”, a drama about a teenager who is the only person who hears in her family, is unleashing an intense bidding war after her debut at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The film was praised for presenting deaf artists in key roles and saw reactions on social networks with great emotional charge. This will likely mean that the film will have a surprising number when a deal is finally signed, although negotiations are underway with several parties expressing interest.
The film and its likely sale are a litmus test of how robust the market will be during a virtual version of Sundance, after the festival made the decision to go largely digital due to COVID-19.
Prestigious traditional record labels like Disney’s Searchlight and Universal’s Focus Features did not make formal offers after streaming giants like Netflix and Apple Studios joined the fray, sources said. Amazon kicked the tires, but it has a jammed 2021 release schedule and is unlikely to be able to accommodate a launch and subsequent award campaign this year, people familiar with the talks said. It is possible that some studios that initially left, postponed by a price tag that could reach record highs, may reevaluate and re-enter the fight to get “CODA”.
The film, which started the festival, may not have been played at the Eccles Theater, the main cinema center during the Sundance Festival, but it had an overwhelming reception. On social media, connoisseurs of cinema were quick to declare the film a success, with the potential to break out into the mainstream, and critics accompanied it with extremely positive news.
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman was effusive, calling the film a “jewel”.
“In many ways, it’s a highly conventional film, with bespoke story arcs that create and solve just that, and emotional peaks and valleys that play great rounded chords of inspiration,” he wrote. “However, the film, written and directed by Siân Heder (it is a remake of the 2014 French film ‘La Famille Bélier’), brings it all with such sincerity and precision, and the film is so fascinatingly well acted, that you can come back feeling grateful that this kind of dominant dramatic ability still exists. “
The distributors seemed to agree and there was a widespread belief that “CODA” has potential for awards, with some insiders even predicting an Oscar meeting. To that end, filmmakers are looking for some kind of release and containment in theaters during the 2021 awards season.
Heder directed the film and wrote the script. The cast includes Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Durant, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Amy Forsyth and Kevin Chapman.