Late Night (2019)

[Britnasty]

Amazon Closing Sundance Record $13M U.S. Rights Deal For ‘Late Night’

EXCLUSIVE: After an electric all-night bidding battle that kicks off the Sundance market in high style, Amazon Studios is in advance negotiations on a $13 million U.S. rights deal for Late Night, the Nisha Gantara-directed comedy that Mindy Kaling scripted, produced, and stars in with Emma Thompson and John Lithgow. While there have been bigger worldwide rights deals made at past Sundance fests — The Birth of A Nation went for $17.5 million several years back — this is the rare U.S. only deal to hit 8-figures. It exceeds past pacts for Sundance films that include the $12 million deal made by Amazon for The Big Sick, for U.S. and some other territories. That film became a commercial breakout hit for the distributor.

It was clear from the moment the lights went up after the film’s Friday Eccles premiere that this had the potential to be one very big sale. Amazon was among four serious bidders for the property. This is a statement deal for new Amazon chief Jennifer Salke, her first big film festival pact, and she burned the midnight oil with her film team of Ted Hope, Julie Rapaport, Matt Newman and Bob Berney. Salke had a previous relationship with Kaling going back to their days at NBC and The Office.

In the film, a veteran late-night talk show host (Thompson) feels the pressure that might cost her job to a shinier shock comic (Ike Barinholtz). She tries to switch things up and modernize the show with several stunts that backfire. She also changes the all-male writer’s room, adding the show’s first female writer of Indian descent (Kaling). Much of the film is about the relationship that develops between them.

It is a perfect deal for this Sundance, which made a concerted effort to showcase films with diversity and female filmmakers. Everybody came into the premiere hoping for the next The Big Sick, a meaningful film with breakout potential and suitors felt strongly this fit the bill. Gantara made her feature directorial debut on the comedy, after directing episodes of Kaling’s The Mindy Show, as well as Mr. Robot, Transparent, and Girls.

The film is produced by FilmNation, Imperative Entertainment and Kaling Intl. Kaling, Howard Klein, Ben Browning and Jillian Apfebaum produced. FilmNation and 30WEST cofinanced it.

30WEST and CAA Media Finance brokered the U.S. deal with FilmNation. Latter is selling offshore territories.

Deadline

Yassssss Mindy

Already getting massive raves and being called the next Big Sick. Emma already being called Oscar worthy and the script written by Kaling is as well. A year out.

[Gacivory]

Exciting! Love Emma Thompson!!!!

[imsounoriginal]

I like Kaling even though I was never big on Mindy Project, so looking forward to this.

[CelluloidPal]

Well, I don't trust Sundance hype because 9 times out of 10, it's not all it's cracked up to be. This usually happens when studios overpay for a movie and they wind up being a bust.

When everyone lost their minds over The Birth of a Nation, Netflix and Fox Searchlight offered out the nose to get it and the movie became a complete overhyped bust.
Then you have The Spitfire Grill, Patty Cake$ and Hamlet 2 before it, to name a few.

As for this movie, I prefer not to ignite a certain four alarm fire so instead I'll say this... I'll stick with The Late Shift or The Larry Sanders Show.

[Creed]

Late Night - Mindy Kaling Shares The Release Date | Amazon Studios - YouTube

Release date - June 7th.

[Creed]

Late Night - Official Trailer | Amazon Studios - YouTube

[Skrazem]

Never seen a trailer for a movie that felt so much like a recap of an entire season of tv.

[Hoke Moseley]

Looks kind of fun.

[CelluloidPal]

Amazon paid $13 mil for this? As Skrazem mentioned, it looks too much like a season recap of a TV series than an actual movie and IMO, more worthy of streaming on Prime than seeing in theaters.

[Foggy]

Yeah I’m pretty underwhelmed by that trailer too.

[Member-275053]

I agree, the trailer is a bit underwhelming. But, I'm cautiously optimistic.

[Creed]

Rated R for language throughout and some
sexual references.

[Himmel]

http://youtu.be/trC8rNFsBFw

[Britnasty]

AMC offering Early Access showings on May 29th
https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/l...y-access-60284

Got my ticket

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Britnasty

AMC offering Early Access showings on May 29th
https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/l...y-access-60284

Got my ticket

Considering going to this, as well.

[Creed]

Delayed shipping. Amazon's LATE NIGHT will now launch exclusively in NY/LA June 7, before going wide June 14. No doubt the disappointing BOOKSMART debut played a hand in that. Will now expand wide against MiB: INTERNATIONAL and SHAFT. No EZ weekends once summer is in full swing.

Hmmm.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Creed

Hmmm.

So are the advance screenings for May 29th cancelled, as well??

[Creed]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

So are the advance screenings for May 29th cancelled, as well??

Doesn't look so.

[Britnasty]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

So are the advance screenings for May 29th cancelled, as well??

Nope. I find it interesting AMC made them free for Stubs members and cancelled the pay option.

I'm seeing it at a Marcus tomorrow. Super excited. Probably hoping to build buzz.

[xbs2034]

I don’t see any screenings of this at AMCs near me (checker both on Fandango as well as the AMC website if it is exclusive to Stubs members like the Booksmart screening was), but there is one being offfered at Regal. So I booked that, it’s a paid ticket unlike AMC would’ve been or the Crown Club screening they did for A Dog’s Journey, but does at least also come with 1000 extra Crown Club points as a bonus (in addition to the normal cost plus 1000 extra I get).