Fine Line Features has cast an expensive net to acquire distribution rights to Alejandro Amenabar's dramatic "Out to Sea" (Mar Adentro), starring Javier Bardem.

Sources confirmed Friday that the specialty arm has plunked down a sum in the range of $5 million-$6 million for rights in all English-language territories following a screening last week in New York that drew all the major buyers.

The deal -- the largest since the Sundance Film Festival acquisition of "The Motorcycle Diaries," starring Gael Garcia Bernal -- proved to be a complex situation as the filmmakers wanted to see the film released before year's end, sources said, following planned festival showings at the Venice and Toronto film festivals.

According to several acquisitions executives, buyers competitively circled the film in large part because of Bardem's performance, which is said to be awards-worthy. Reps for Fine Line could not be reached for comment.

"Sea" stars Bardem in a fact-based story centering on the life of Spaniard Ramon Sampedro, who endured a 30-year fight in favor of euthanasia and his own right to die. He fought to end his life rather than continue living in paralysis from the neck down.

Amenabar penned the screenplay along with Mateo Gil. Max Media's Sun Min Park repped the film, which is Amenabar's first since the Nicole Kidman starrer "The Others."

Bardem has been in business with Fine Line before. The distributor released the Julian Schnabel-directed "Before Night Falls."