Fresh news from Sundance: Garth Jennings, he of whom we're never quite sure is which half of production company Hammer & Tongs, is undoubtedly about to wake up today with a huge smile on his face – if he's slept at all, that is. Last night at the 's hottest (and coldest) film festival, a long, heated bidding war broke out over his latest movie, Son Of Rambow. When the dust cleared, it was Paramount Vantage who were still standing, albeit with considerably lighter wallets, having just parted with $8 million.
This makes it the biggest sale of the festival so far, in a year that's already been noted as one of the most expensive ever (nearly $40 million has changed hands since it opened last week), and had many seasoned executives strolling down memory lane all the way to… last year, when one of the most expensive purchases was Little Miss Sunshine, which you may remember yesterday picked up four major Oscar nominations, including best picture.
Son Of Rambow has been written and directed on the relative quiet by the affable and talented Jennings, whose last film was the hit adaptation of **Hitchhiker's Guide To The **Galaxy. It's about two young boys growing up in '80s Britain, who hail from opposite sides of the tracks – one is neglected, the other from a Plymouth Brethren family – and discover an unlikely friendship over First Blood, the first of Stallone's Rambo movies. They then decide to make their own version of the film so that they can enter it onto the TV quiz show of the time, Screen Test.
It's already receiving bags of praise, and this Sundance sale is buzz that no amount of marketing can buy. Expect Empire to be bringing you more on this one very soon.