The Cannes Film Festival is in full swing, and the Netflix bosses just got their hands on one of its buzziest movies. The streaming giant secured the North American rights for Todd Haynes’s new film May December starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore.
Netflix was involved in a bidding war for this romantic drama, which included several leading Hollywood studios. The asking price for the domestic deal was initially set at $6 million, but it significantly ballooned as the bidding went on. Netflix reportedly cashed out $11 million, in the hope they’ll be able to position this project as a major Oscar contender this fall.
May December tells the tale of a married couple with a large age gap, whose relationship was once at a center of a notorious tabloid frenzy. Twenty years later, an actress arrives at their home to do the research for a film about their lives, and their relationship starts crumbling under the pressure of their shared past.
In addition to Portman and Moore in the lead roles, the film also stars Charles Melton, Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu, Gabriel Chung, and Cory Michael Smith. It premiered in Cannes on May 20 as the contender for Palme d’Or and it was met with positive reviews.
