James R | On 31, Jan 2019

Amazon’s Sundance spending spree continues this week with Adam Driver thriller The Report.

Amazon spent a reported $14 million on the global rights to the film, which follows Senate staffer Daniel Jones, who is assigned the task of leading an investigation into the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program. His work uncovers the “enhanced interrogation techniques” the CIA adopted after 9/11, which were proven to be brutal, immoral and ineffective. The film follows both Jones’ work and the Senate Intelligence Committee#s struggle to release the findings of the investigation, despite opposition from the CIA and White House.

The film is written by Scott Z. Burns, who also returns to the director’s chair to helm the project. It co-stars Annette Bening and Jon Hamm, with talk of awards buzz already beginning – the real Jones was greeted with a standing ovation at the film’s premiere in Utah.

Indeed, Variety reports that Amazon is planning an awards push for the film, with a release date expected in autumn of this year. The rights, meanwhile, are a victory of its own, with talks apparently going into the early hours on Monday following the film’s screening at the festival.

The deal was negotiated by UTA Independent Film Group and Endeavor Content and Danny Gabai, EVP and head of Vice Studios U.S., and John Kulback, head of business affairs, as well as Eddy Morreti, founder of Unbranded Pictures.

The deal is yet another major acquisition from Sundance by Amazon Studios, which has returned to Utah in forc, following a quiet 2018. Amazon has also picked up Late Night, a comedy from Mindy Kaling, and Brittany Runs a Marathon.

Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute

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