David M. Halbfinger in the New York Times:
"After a weekend marked by too many downbeat dramas and comedies in name only, the Sundance Film Festival's flock of film buyers finally began taking in movies they could send to the multiplexes — and it was a religious experience.
"As Monday night bled into Tuesday, Henry Poole Is Here, Mark Pellington's lighthearted tale [written by Alberto Torres] of a terminally ill man (Luke Wilson), his troubled neighbors and a stain on his stucco wall that might resemble the face of Jesus, sold to Overture Films, one of the new movie distributors clamoring for attention and pictures.
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According to Halbfinger, the U.S. rights to the dramatic comedy Henry Poole Is Here sold for US$3.5 million, while Focus disbursed $10 million for Hamlet 2 (above). That's half a million less than what Fox Searchlight reportedly paid for Little Miss Sunshine in 2006.
The "politically incorrect" Hamlet 2, which features a song called "Rock Me Sexy Jesus," was directed by Andrew Fleming, who also co-wrote the film with frequent South Park contributor Pam Brady. Hamlet 2 stars Steve Coogan, Elisabeth Shue, Catherine Keener, Melonie Diaz, and David Arquette.
One of the film's producers is Eric Eisner, son of former Disney emperor Michael Eisner. Whether or not the Eisner name made a difference, the still-unfinished Hamlet 2 was accepted into Sundance after the festival had announced its line-up in November.
Keeping things in perspective: Last year, the most expensive acquisition was Grace Is Gone, which was sold to the Weinstein Co. for $4 million. Despite the presence of John Cusack and the fact that Clint Eastwood composed the (replacement) score for the film, the melodrama about the effects of the Iraq war on the homefront has earned less than $50,000 at the North American box office.