According to The L.A Times, Lionsgate have picked up US distribution rights to the thriller Buried, starring Ryan Reynolds, for a reputed $3.2 million. The film was directed by Spanish director Rodrigo Cortes on a $3 million budget from a script by Chris Sparling. Jason Constantine, Lionsgate’s president of acquisitions and co-productions, said in a statement:
Buried is a powerful reminder that all you really need for an unforgettable movie experience is a great story, inventive filmmaking and brilliant acting.
The movie plays out entirely within the confines of a coffin buried somewhere in Iraq. Trapped inside the cramped wooden box is Paul Conroy (Reynolds), a civilian truck driver who has been captured following a roadside bombing of his convoy. His unseen captors are seeking a $5-million ransom, and Conroy has only a mobile phone (with a dying battery) to somehow try to raise the money.
A bidding war for Buried broke out after it’s screening at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend. International rights are still being ironed out according to reports coming out of the festival, and you can check out clips from the film here.
