Fox Searchlight aims at 'Adam'

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THR's "Adam" review

PARK CITY -- The Sundance Film Festival has its first specialty division sale, as Fox Searchlight on Monday evening picked up worldwide rights to the the sleeper romantic tale "Adam."

The movie, a tale about a relationship between two young New Yorkers, charmed a host of acquisitions execs at its premiere, with a number of distributors circling the pic. Searchlight, which earlier had pulled out of negotiations for the Lone Scherfig coming-of-age tale "An Education" because of price differences, opted for the lower-cost "Adam" in the hopes of breaking out the indie pic.

Rose Byrne and Hugh Dancy star as the couple, with Dancy in particular earning raves for his turn as a man afflicted with Asperger Syndrome.

Max Mayer, a first-time writer and director, penned and helmed the tale. Despite very little buzz coming into the fest, the buyer interest has the potential to turn it into a sleeper story of this year's Sundance along the lines of "Once," the Irish romantic tale that became a hit for Fox Searchlight in 2007.

The Film Sales Co. repped the filmmakers.