Manchester-by-the-Sea is not quite the belle of the Sundance ball at the moment, but it may be about to witness a reversal of fortunes as Amazon have netted the drama in a streaming deal. According to the latest reports, Amazon have picked up the U.S. rights for Manchester-by-the-Sea for $10 million. Manchester-by-the-Sea is a drama film set in the eponymous small Massachusetts town following the story of Lee Chandler.
Lee, played by Casey Affleck, is made the legal guardian of his older brother Joe’s son after Joe (Kyle Chandler) suddenly dies. They return to Manchester-by-the-Sea and Lee has to deal with his ex-wife, Randi (Michelle Williams), and with the community itself. Despite the previous success of director Kenneth Lonergan with films such as You Can Count on Me and Margaret, Manchester-by-the-Sea has been torpedoed by mixed reviews, which have no doubt hurt its ambitions.
However, this purchase by Amazon signifies the first serious piece of business seen at Sundance this year, despite Netflix’s purchase of The Fundamentals of Caring, a road comedy featuring Paul Rudd, for just under $7 million before the festival began. If you want to catch any of the gems or dregs of Sundance, keep checking streaming sights; it seems they’re intent on doing big business at Sundance this year.
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