“Opus”
Director: Mark Anthony Green
Cast: Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich, Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, Amber Midthunder
Premiere Date: Monday, January 27
Lowdown: One of three A24 premieres at the festival, word is this dark comedy is a smash. And, no, that’s not from studio sources, either. The byline is “An iconic pop star returns after decades missing,” that’s not much to go on, but Edebiri and Malkovich? Oh, and we trust our sources. A24, In Theaters March 14
“Peter Hujar’s Days”
Director: Ira Sachs
Cast: Ben Whishaw, Rebecca Hall
Premiere Date: Monday, January 27
Lowdown: This is Sachs’ ninth film to screen at Sundance. He was last in Park City in 2003 with “Passages” which also starred Whishaw. This time around Whishaw is playing Hujar, a New York City photographer who only received the accolades he deserved after he passed away in 1987. The movie reimagines a conversation between Hujar and author Linda Rosenkrantz (Hall), in 1974. Notably, it’s only 76 minutes long. Acquisition Title
“The Things With Feathers”
Director: Dylan Southern
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Boxall, Henry Boxall, Eric Lampaert, Vinette Robinson, Sam Spruell
Premiere Date: Saturday, January 25
Lowdown: Adapted from Max Porter’s novella, “Grief Is the Thing with Feathers,” the drama finds Cumberbatch as a father trying to deal with the death of his wife and the impact it has on his two sons’ lives. This is the narrative feature debut for Southern whose documentary “Meet Me In The Bathroom” debuted at Sundance in 2022. He’s also directed music videos for artists such as Franz Ferdinand, Artic Monkeys, and Bjork. Film 4 co-financed the flick which is traditionally a good sign. Will they give up UK rights? Well…Acquisition Title
“Train Dreams”
Director: Clint Bentley
Cast: Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon, William H. Macy
Premiere Date: Sunday, January 26
Lowdown: Bentley finally makes it to Park City in person after 2021’s acclaimed drama “Jockey” was part of the first online-only festival. Based on Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella of the same title, the film finds Edgerton as a logger working to help expand the American railroad in the early part of the 20th century. When Jones spoke to The Playlist about it in December, she referred to Bentley’s directorial style as “very Malik-esque…very much his aesthetic.” Acquisition Title
“By Design”
Director: Amanda Kramer,
Cast: Juliette Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Melanie Griffith, Samantha Mathis, Robin Tunney, Udo Kier.
Premiere Date: Thursday, January 23
Lowdown: Lewis’ character swaps bodies with a chair. Her consciousness is in the chair, and the chair’s consciousness is in hers. Need we say more? Acquisition Title
