After a single midnight screening at the Sundance Film Festival, the Ryan Reynolds horror flick BURIED was picked up by Lionsgate for $3.2M for domestic distribution–the first film screened at this year’s Sundance to score a distribution deal. Nice!
Not too shabby for a movie featuring Reynolds in a box for an hour and half. Yup, apparently that’s what it is… Reynolds in a box. Or, if you want to be a dick about it, the synopsis goes like this: a civilian contractor (Reynolds) in Iraq survives a roadside bombing and wakes up inside a coffin, buried under the ground. Using only a dying cell phone, the character has to try to raise a $5 million ransom or else figure out a way to escape.
Sounds pretty awesome, and must be if it scored a deal like this so quickly. According to Jason Constantine, Lionsgate’s president of acquisitions, BURIED is a powerful reminder that all you really need for an unforgettable movie experience is a great story, inventive filmmaking and brilliant acting. Really? Is that all you need for a good movie? Can someone serve up a No Shit sandwich for that guy? Yeesh…
No release date has been announced just yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as we find out.