The new thriller movie “Presence,” which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, has been bought by the company Neon. Directed by the famous Steven Soderbergh, who has won an Oscar, this film offers a fresh take on haunted house stories. It’s told from the viewpoint of a ghost-like figure and focuses on the personal problems of the people living in the house.
Steven Soderbergh explained in an interview with Variety that he wanted to tell the story in a unique way. The movie reveals the family’s issues through the eyes of this ghostly entity. He described the film as using ghost elements to explore a family on the brink of falling apart.
The exact amount Neon paid for the film, which they now own globally, hasn’t been disclosed.
This year’s Sundance Festival has seen slower sales compared to previous years, indicating the tough market for independent films. For example, “A Royal Pain” starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin was sold for $10 million, and Netflix bought “It’s What’s Inside” for $17 million. There’s also a lot of interest in other films like “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” a comedy with June Squibb, and a documentary called “Gaucho Gaucho.”
The first showing of Presence was quite lively, with some audience members even leaving early. Lucy Liu, one of the stars, shared during a post-show Q&A that she felt deeply affected by the movie’s scary content.
Owen Gleiberman from Variety gave a mixed review of “Presence,” saying it touches on many themes like mental illness and serial killers but doesn’t fully explore them. He described the movie as a mix of interesting and satisfactory elements, typical of Soderbergh’s style.
The cast of “Presence” includes actors like Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, and Julia Fox. David Koepp, who collaborated with Soderbergh on “Kimi,” wrote the screenplay. This year is also the 35th anniversary of Soderbergh’s breakthrough film “Sex, Lies, & Videotape,” which also premiered at Sundance.
Neon, the company that bought “Presence,” has previously released the Oscar-nominated film “Anatomy of a Fall.”
Steven Soderbergh’s ‘PRESENCE’ has been sold to NEON following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
(https://t.co/UZTa7UKBrc) pic.twitter.com/TjhVj7VuNn
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) January 24, 2024
The deal for the movie was arranged by Sugar 23, with the news first reported by Deadline. Source
