‘Blindspotting’ Bidding War: Neon, The Orchard, CBS Films Chase Racial Drama

Three distributors – Neon, The Orchard and CBS Films – are aggressively courting the buzzy, race-themed Sundance drama “Blindspotting,” multiple individuals told TheWrap.

MoviePass, the moviegoing subscription service that announced plans to acquire films at the festival, is also seeking a co-release with whoever ends up buying the film, one individual close to the negotiations  said.

Carlos Lopez Estrada directed the buddy story starring Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal, who wrote the screenplay. The film tells the story of two friends in Oakland, facing probation, police violence and the pressure of hipster tech gentrification. The film opened the festival on Thursday and has been generating buzz ever since.