Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in Richard Linklater's Before Midnight

Sony Pictures Classics picks up Before Midnight

Even though Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy aren’t staying up as late anymore, Sony Pictures Classics found time (and money) for North American and U.K. distribution rights for Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight, according to Indiewire. Linklater, Hawke, and Delpy wrote the script where we meet Jesse and Celine in Greece, nine years after Before Sunset (which was nine years after Before Sunrise).

“In 1991 we were in Sundance with Slacker and we witnessed the birth of a major American filmmaker,” said Tom Bernard and Michael Barker of Sony Pictures Classics. “At Sundance 2013, with Before Midnight, we have further confirmation that Richard Linklater is a film master at the peak of his form. This one has it all as entertainment and as a work of cinematic art. It is a perfect movie made by not one but three auteurs, Rick, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy. This movie will be incredibly successful around the world.”

Sony Pictures Classic also acquired U.S. rights to first-timer John Krokidas’s Kill Your Darlings, starring Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg and co-starring Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston and Elizabeth Olsen.


Andrew Bujalski's Computer Chess

Sundance Channel acquires Computer Chess

Befitting its name, AMC/Sundance Channel picked up five Sundance Festival faves for international broadcast including Andrew Bujalski's Computer Chess, according to Indiewire.

“The mission of the festival and the channel is to highlight diverse voices and give artists the opportunity to share new and compelling stories,” said Sundance Channel's founder Robert Redford. “I'm excited that the strong growth of Sundance Channel is helping independent filmmakers share these stories with even bigger audiences worldwide. Emerging talent will continue to flourish in the mountains of Utah and far beyond.”

Sundance Channel also picked up Sebastian Hofmann's Halley, Matthew Porterfield's I Used to Be Darker, Eliza Hittman's It Felt Like Love, and Chad Hartigan's This is Martin Bonner. Sundance recently expanded its service to Poland and will soon be available in Hungary, Spain, and the Philippines. Check out the Daily Buzz Episode 5 for more on Computer Chess and other happenings at Sundance.


S-VHS

Magnolia Pictures takes on S-VHS

Magnolia Pictures won the battle against Lionsgate over U.S. rights to S-VHS, the sequal to indie horror hit V/H/S, according to Indiewire. Telling four horrifying stories, S-VHS wraps them all together in one narrative bow. Contributing directors include Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, EdĂşardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Huw Evans and Jason Eisener.

During Sundance, Magnolia also acquired David Gordon Green’s Prince Avalanche and Gabriela Cowperthwaite's documentary Blackfish, about notorious killer whale Tilikum, who is responsible for the deaths of three humans.