When the dust — or mud– settled in Sundance today, a new sales record was set. Fox Searchlight has reportedly bought “The Birth of a Nation” for $17.5 million.
The movie tells the story of former slave Nat Turner, who led a liberation of slaves that turned violent in 1831. Nate Parker wrote, directed and stars in the film as Turner.
A fierce bidding war went on all night in Sundance with The Weinstein Company, Paramount and Netflix all vying for the rights.
But Fox Searchlight won the Oscar for “12 Years a Slave,” so this makes sense. “The Birth of a Nation” will be a big player in next year’s Oscars and at the box office next fall.
