Every year, the agents tell us the sales market at festivals takes longer to materialize, and every year they turn out to be (mostly) right. Still, before each film festival kicks off, we take the time to round up the handful of movies that could still fetch those illusory bidding wars and fantastic 8-figure deals.
The truth is tough: only a few ever have a chance of that. But, there are plenty of smaller movies that will not only find a home, but truly deserve to, even if those final sales takes a month or more to be ironed out.
This year, we’re not going to try to predict which movies will resonate and get the big dollars. Instead, we’re going to tell you which potential pairings makes sense, the vibes we’re getting from each of these “buzzy” films, and where we “could see” such a movie landing.
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Sources have characterized this year’s Toronto lineup of available sales titles as rich with compelling debuts and sophomore efforts — and largely very indie. More of the commercial-leaning indies and prestige pictures have already arrived with distributors in tow, which one executive described to IndieWire as a reflection of the industry today. The bigger-budgeted indies are still struggling to get made without the backing of a distributor in advance, and plenty of packages are simply not finding the right timing or home.
A handful of films, like David Mackenzie’s “Fuze,” the Alan Ritchson action film “Motor City,” and “Sacrifice” with Chris Evans and Anya Taylor-Joy, are larger in scope and could fetch an aggressive deal, but the others may be ripe for the picking from some of the emerging North American distributors needing to make a splash.
“After what felt like a pretty slow Cannes for a lot of people, I’m hoping that we’ll see some good activity at the market,” Christopher Casanova, head of content at Princess Pictures (“Together”) told IndieWire. “I think the emergence of new North American distributors will probably be putting a little bit of blood in the water and create a little bit more competition and activity. People will lose out in competitive scenarios and then be hell bent on trying to find something else.”
“Adulthood”
Director: Alex Winter
Section: TIFF Gala Presentation
Feels Like: “Raising Arizona,” “Burn After Reading”
We Could See It At: Paramount, Searchlight/Hulu
After making a string of documentaries, “Bill & Ted” star Alex Winter turns to comedy with “Adulthood,” in which Josh Gad and Kaya Scodelario play siblings who return to their childhood home to care for their dying mother, only to discover their parents have kept a dead body in the basement. It’s been described to us as an examination of the American Dream and the lengths people will go to keep it. The wacky yet commercial tones make it attractive for a number of buyers, but maybe even Paramount under its new leadership, as its specialized division Republic Pictures is repping it.
“Bad Apples”
Director: Jonatan Etzler
Section: TIFF Special Presentation
Feels Like: “Sick of Myself,” “Twinless”
We Could See It At: A24, Neon
Saoirse Ronan walks a fine tight rope in this dark satire about a school teacher who inadvertently locks her worst student — one bad apple poisoning the bunch — in her basement. It’s a new look for the inherently likeable Ronan, who frequently makes you uncomfortable in a good way, as the film’s blend of Scandinavian humor and wry British wit will force audiences to grapple with right and wrong.
“California Schemin’”
Director: James McAvoy
Section: TIFF Special Presentation
Feels Like: “Kneecap”
We Could See It At: Sony Pictures Classics, Focus Features
James McAvoy’s directorial debut is this true story of essentially the Scottish Milli Vanilli, two rappers who struck it big as the 2000s rap duo Silibil N’ Brains by posing as Americans from California rather than blokes with accents from across the pond.
“Carolina Caroline”
Director: Adam Carter Rehmeier
Section: TIFF Centrepiece
Feels Like: “Bonnie and Clyde”
We Could See It At: Bleecker Street, Magnolia
Described to us as a character-driven crime thriller from the director of “Dinner for America,” “Carolina Caroline” reunites director Rehmeier with Kyle Gallner and pairs him with Samara Weaving and Kyra Sedgwick in what could be a genre film with some theatrical potential.
“Charlie Harper”
Director: Tom Dean and Mac Eldridge
Section: TIFF Special Presentation
Feels Like: “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” “(500) Days of Summer”
We Could See It At: Amazon, Searchlight/Hulu
Tom Dean’s weepy romance has the gloss and nostalgia that could easily appeal to the YA crowd, but it also has some depth with a story that jumps back and forth across time periods and stretches across at least a decade to also reach a more elevated audience. Emilia Jones and Nick Robinson are talented young actors with great chemistry that could also give the movie some theatrical legs before it winds up a streaming play.
“The Christophers”
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Section: TIFF Special Presentations
Feels Like: “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Logan Lucky”
We Could See It At: HBO Max, Apple
Steven Soderbergh is back in his commercial and satirical mode after a few more serious genre experiments. “The Christophers” stars Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel and is described as a fun, black comedy set in the art world. Ed Solomon, who wrote “Men in Black” and Soderbergh’s “No Sudden Move,” wrote the script for what could be a big one.
“Christy”
Director: David Michôd
Section: TIFF Special Presentation
Feels Like: “Southpaw,” “The Smashing Machine”
We Could See It At: Neon, Black Bear
We know Sydney Sweeney is going through a rough publicity period at the moment, but there’s been plenty of hype to see how the “Euphoria” actress would undergo the physical transformation to portray boxer Christy Martin. Sweeney is producing the film as well, and we could see her reconnecting with her “Immaculate” partners at Neon for this one, but financiers Black Bear may want to keep it for themselves for their newly-launched distribution division.
“Dead Man’s Wire”
Director: Gus Van Sant
Section: Venice Out of Competition
Feels Like: “Dog Day Afternoon”
We Could See It At: Apple, Lionsgate
If Gus Van Sant’s first film since 2018 reminds you of “Dog Day Afternoon,” it won’t just be because Al Pacino is in it. Producer Sam Pressman told us the Sidney Lumet heist film was a big touchstone for screenwriter Austin Kolodney, who adapted the true story of Tony Kiritsis, a man who takes hostage a manager at a loan company with a sawed-off shotgun, feeling exploited and disenfranchised by the system. Pressman has worked with Lionsgate on “The Crow” and the new “American Psycho” and just sold a Jack Thorne project to Apple.
“Driver’s Ed”
Director: Bobby Farrelly
Section: TIFF Gala Presentation
Feels Like: Gen-Z “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” or “The Breakfast Club”
We Could See It At: Netflix, Focus Features
Word is that Bobby Farrelly’s comedy about a high schooler who steals his school’s driver’s education car to win back his college girlfriend is a sweet and delightful crowdpleaser and could be a no-brainer for a streamer. Though we hear “Driver’s Ed” has already tested strongly in theaters, especially with the under-30 crowd, and that the combination of Farrelly’s comedic chops with the “Outer Banks” producers courting the YA crowd, it could be a winner. The film stars “White Lotus” actor Sam Nivola, who could be poised for a breakout, as well as Molly Shannon and Kumail Nanjiani.
“Easy’s Waltz”
Director: Nic Pizzolatto
Section: TIFF Special Presentation
Feels Like: “The Last Showgirl”
We Could See It At: Netflix, Amazon
Just as Pamela Anderson found a new phase of her career with “The Last Showgirl” about a Vegas performer whose show is closing, Vince Vaughn now plays a Vegas crooner in a similar situation looking for his last shot. Between this and “Nonnas” on Netflix, the “Wedding Crashers” star is having his own moment and gravitating toward more serious material. The starry cast assembled by the “True Detective” creator, including Al Pacino, Simon Rex, Cobie Smulders, Kate Mara, and Shania Twain, should easily get the attention of a deep-pocketed streamer.
“Erupjca”
Director: Pete Ohs
Section: TIFF Centrepiece
Feels Like: Great question!
We Could See It At: MUBI, Janus Films
There’s a lot of hype around what feels like a true indie with no good comps in “Erupjca,” a movie filmed guerilla-style, on the run, and in secret throughout Warsaw, and that’s because it’s one of the many titles pop star Charli XCX has on the docket. “Erupjca” means “eruption” in Polish, typically of a volcano, but in this case the release of emotional tension on display between a British tourist and Polish florist.
“Maddie’s Secret”
Director: John Early
Section: TIFF Discovery
Feels Like: “Friendship,” “Stress Positions”
We Could See It At: A24
The directorial debut for alt-comic John Early, in which he plays a female foodie and content creator with an eating disorder, screams a movie that will be a cult hit and make Early a household name if it finds the right audience and gets solid reviews. The film satirizes influencer culture and has a great cast of other comedians, including Vanessa Bayer, Kate Berlant, and Conner O’Malley.
“Normal”
Director: Ben Wheatley
Section: TIFF Midnight Madness
Feels Like: “Nobody”
We Could See It At: IFC Films, Amazon
Bob Odenkirk is really settling into this “John Wick” with a sense of humor action hero role, and “Normal” brings Ben Wheatley back to more indie roots while pairing him with “John Wick” screenwriter Derek Kolstad. Depending on how it’s received, we can see a genre player like IFC nab it, but Amazon already has a number of international territories should it wish to add the U.S. to the mix.
“Obsession”
Director: Curry Barker
Section: TIFF Midnight Madness
Feels Like: “Barbarian,” “Skinamarink”
We Could See It At: Shudder
Curry Barker broke out last year with a horror short called “Milk & Serial” released to YouTube that he made for essentially pocket change of $800, and he’s now getting the chance to make a feature on a much, much larger scale. “Obsession” is about a man who wishes on a trinket to make his crush fall in love with him, leading to sinister, supernatural results.
“Sacrifice”
Director: Romain Gavras
Section: TIFF Special Presentations
Feels Like: “Athena,” “Triangle of Sadness”
We Could See It At: Netflix, Focus Features
Gavras broke out with his French thriller “Athena” back in 2022, and “Sacrifice” now gives him an English-speaking cast of stars including Chris Evans, Vincent Cassel, Anya Taylor-Joy, Salma Hayek Pinault, John Malkovich, and Charli XCX. “Sacrifice” is described as a thriller, but also a satire of billionaires and A-listers and so-called do-gooders. The film’s scope and heftier budget make it most likely a play for potentially a Netflix reunion or a deeper-pocketed studio arm able to give it a wide theatrical release.
We’re also keeping an eye on: “New Year’s Rev,” “Hamlet,” “Motor City,” “You Had to Be There,” “Marc By Sofia,” “Barrio Triste,” “Tuner,” “Poetic License,” “Fuze,” “In the Hand of Dante,” and “Couture.”
