In its second major deal of the ongoing Sundance Film Festival, Amazon has swooped in to buy worldwide rights to Scott Z. Burns’ political drama The Report for $14 million, according to a source.
Amazon is targeting a fall release later this year during the awards corridor for the Vice Studios and Unbranded Pictures film.
Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Ted Levine, Maura Tierney and Michael C. Hall star in the pic, which is based on the true story of the Bush-Cheney era torture program.
Written by Burns, The Report centers on Senate staffer Daniel Jones (Driver), who is assigned the task of leading an investigation into the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program. After analyzing extensive evidence, he learns about the “enhanced interrogation techniques” — proved to be ineffective — that the CIA adopted after 9/11. When Jones and the Senate Intelligence Committee attempt to release the results from his investigation, the CIA and White House go to great lengths to prevent the truth from getting out. Bening plays Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
The Report made its world premiere Saturday at the Eccles Theater in Park City and drew the keen interest of buyers thanks to strong reviews. Leslie Felperin’s review in The Hollywood Reporter called it “excellent counterprogramming for anyone who felt Vice was too juvenile and lightweight, more about prosthetics then realpolitik.”
Steven Soderbergh, Jennifer Fox, Burns, Kerry Orent, Michael Sugar, Danny Gabai and Eddy Moretti produced the pic. Executive producers included Nancy Dubuc, Shane Smith, Natalie Farrey, Lila Yacoub, Michael DiVerdi, Vincent Landay, TJ Rinomato.
Amazon earlier bought the Emma Thompson-Mindy Kaling comedy Late Night for $13 million.
Endeavor Content and UTA Independent Film Group negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers (UTA reps Burns).
