A24 Nabs Brady Corbet’s Historical Epic ‘The Brutalist’ in Reported $10 Million Sale After Venice Film Festival Premiere
A24 has landed U.S. distribution rights to “The Brutalist,” a historical epic directed by Brady Corbet and starring Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones. The 215-minute movie (which includes an intermission!) debuted to acclaim at the Venice Film Festival before screening for buyers at the Toronto Film Festival.
Multiple parties pursued the sale after “The Brutalist” scored a lengthy 12-minute standing ovation at Venice and landed Corbet the Silver Lion award for best director, with A24 emerging victorious in what has been described as a competitive situation. CAA Media Finance brokered the deal, which was just under $10 million, according to those familiar with the terms of the sale. Other sources peg the final figure closer to $5.5 million. A24 declined to comment.
More from Variety
“The Brutalist” chronicles the journey of Hungarian-born Jewish architect László Tóth (Brody), who emigrates to the United States of America in 1947. Initially forced to toil in poverty, he soon wins a contract that will change the course of the next 30 years of his life. Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Alessandro Nivola and Jonathan Hyde also star in the film, which Corbet co-wrote with his wife Mona Fastvold (“The Sleepwalker”).
In Variety’s review, chief film critic Owen Gleiberman wrote that Corbet “breaks through in his third feature” — the filmmaker’s résumé also includes 2015’s “The Childhood of a Leader” and 2018’s Natalie Portman-led “Vox Lux” — and called the film an “engrossing epic.”
Focus Features holds the international territory rights outside of North America. A release date has yet to be announced. “The Brutalist,” shot in VistaVision and presented at Venice and Toronto in 70 mm, will later screen at New York Film Festival.
“The Brutalist” is produced by Trevor Matthews and Nick Gordon for Brookstreet U.K. alongside Brian Young and Kaplan Morrison’s Andrew Morrison. Also producing are Andrew Lauren for Andrew Lauren Productions and D.J. Gugenheim. Brookstreet U.K. are financing with Lip Sync Productions, Richmond Pictures, Meyohas Studio, Carte Blanche, Pierce Capital Entertainment and senior lender Cofiloisirs.
Corbet has dismissed the discourse about the film’s three-hour-and-15-minute length. “I think it’s quite silly actually to have a conversation about runtime,” he told reporters at the Venice press conference. “That’s like criticizing a book for being 700 pages instead of 100 pages.”
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
