While many of us were learning to bake sourdough during quarantine, the actors Zendaya and John David Washington filmed a whole movie — and in secret, no less. In July, Deadline broke the news that the two would star in the forthcoming romantic drama, Malcolm & Marie, written and directed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, a project that came to life when production for the colorful HBO series was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, the highly anticipated black-and-white film is headed for (computer) screens everywhere, after Netflix acquired the film at the Toronto International Film Festival marketplace, beating out HBO, Amazon, Apple, Focus Features, and more. The streaming giant paid an astounding $30 million, reportedly off promo alone. Come through, faith!
Netflix confirmed the deal, with Levinson noting, per Deadline, he was “grateful to this cast and crew, many of whom are my Euphoria family, for coming together during such uncertain times. We felt privileged to be able to make this film together and we did so with a lot of love. We are all thrilled that it has ended up with Netflix which is unparalleled in allowing filmmakers the freedom to tell their stories that reach audiences all over the world.”
The acquisition of Malcolm & Marie follows an approximately $20 million Netflix deal for Bruised, directed by Halle Berry. Though it may seem as if Netflix swept the early buys, Amazon took One Night in Miami, Regina King‘s directorial debut, and Utopia Pictures snagged a documentary about the Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo, Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams.
