Amazon Studios has acquired worldwide rights to the Sundance breakout comedy Brittany Runs a Marathon, written and directed by acclaimed playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo, in his feature film debut.
Brittany Forgler is 27 years old and a mess: her boss is disappointed in her, her doctor is worried about her, her friends don’t respect her, and, worst of all, she doesn’t respect herself. In search of a new life, Brittany laces up her Converse and runs one block. The next day, two. Pretty soon, a mile. She finally has direction, but is she on the right path? Brittany Runs a Marathon is the story of a woman who wants a better life, and sets out to conquer herself one city block at a time.
“Paul has crafted a hilariously rich story populated with vivid characters, anchored by the brilliant Jillian Bell, struggling with relatable issues many face on a daily basis,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “Our goal at Amazon Studios, across both TV and film, is to be the best home for talent – in front and behind the camera. The three films we’ve picked up at Sundance speak to that ethos. It’s a mixture of new and established talent we hope to build a future with and continue to produce content for audiences around the world on Amazon Prime Video. Our customers are going to absolutely love these films!”
Director Paul Downs Colaizzo said, “I could feel Jennifer Salke’s passion for our movie and its characters as soon as she walked in the room. I’m so moved by the boundless love and support she and her colleagues have promised Brittany. My heart is full, my mind is blown, and I am going to bed.”
“Jen and her extraordinary team at Amazon Studios spoke about Brittany with an attention to the film’s true spirit and the kind of palpable belief that has powered this journey from the start. We simply could not have imagined a better home,” said producers Matthew Plouffe and Tobey Maguire of Material Pictures and Margot Hand of Picture Films.
Brittany Runs a Marathon stars Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, Micah Stock and Alice Lee. Producers are Matthew Plouffe and Tobey Maguire of Material Pictures and Margot Hand of Picture Films, and executive produced by Richard Weinberg, Jillian Bell and Paul Downs Colaizzo.
Endeavor Content negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers.
At Sundance, Amazon Studios acquired domestic rights to Nisha Ganatra’s Late Night, written, produced and starring Mindy Kaling, and acquired worldwide rights to Scott Z. Burns’ The Report starring Adam Driver and Annette Bening. In addition, Ritesh Batra’s Photograph and Bert & Bertie’s Troop Zero are screening as part of the official festival line-up.