Sundance ’26 Bidding Wars and ‘Melania’ Box Office Prospects

The episode centers on the state of the Sundance film market, featuring John Sloss, founder of Cinetic Media, who shares his insights as a veteran dealmaker. Sloss discusses how the market has evolved, noting the resurgence of all-rights acquisitions due to new distributors and increased theater attendance, contrasting it with the pandemic era's streamer dominance. He emphasizes that filmmakers prioritize factors beyond money, such as marketing vision, when choosing distributors. The conversation touches on the "streaming tax," the premium Netflix and others pay to secure films, exemplified by the movie Hitman. Sloss recounts anecdotes involving Harvey Weinstein, illustrating the intense deal-making environment of past Sundance festivals and highlighting the strategic, rather than unscrupulous, nature of film sales.