Anyone worried that the virtual nature of this year’s Sundance might keep buyers away had their fears allayed on Saturday. Apple Studios dug deep and outbid all competition to win the well-received opening night film CODA. The $25 million price tag is a new record for the festival, beating out last year’s $22 million for Palm Springs, according to Variety.
CODA (which stands for child of Deaf adults) stars Emilia Jones as Ruby, a hearing daughter thinking about a career in music, born to two Deaf parents (Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur). Her brother, played by Daniel Durant, is also Deaf.
V.F.‘s Katey Rich called CODA “a warm, effortlessly heartfelt coming-of-age story that combines familiar tropes with unexpected insights about the Deaf community.”
The film’s writer-director Siân Heder told Variety that she was “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.”
Heder’s previous work includes the film Tallulah, which starred Elliot Page and Allison Janney, and episodes of Orange is the New Black and Little America.
Apple has yet to have a bonafide breakout in their early days in the feature film distribution game. The animated production Wolfwalkers, however, has won tremendous acclaim and prizes from critics groups, with some Oscar watchers suggesting it has a strong chance of beating Pixar’s Soul at this year’s Academy Awards.
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