We told you a couple of weeks ago that critics fell in love with the new Irish film "Flora and Son," which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
The powers that be at Apple were even more enamored as they forked out just under $20 million for rights to the Dublin-based musical from John Carney that stars Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon Levitt.
🎶Welcome to the Apple family, John Carney🎶https://t.co/f4PwfHLBJT
— Apple TV+ (@AppleTVPlus) January 24, 2023
There was “an all-night bidding battle” for ownership rights between Apple and Amazon, according to Deadline. Apple is used to opening its pocketbook for marquee films at Sundance – in 2021 it acquired "CODA" for $25 million and that gem went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture, the first time the coveted honor went to a streaming film.
“Buyers have been buzzing with admiration…much of the buzz has been about Hewson," Deadline reported.
"As a singer, she’s a chip off the old block and she shows breakout potential here. Many fans of Carney’s singular film creations have wondered when one of these terrific little pictures really launches his star, and this might be the one."
The “old block,” of course, is Bono, Hewson's Irish rockstar dad you might have heard of.
Apple hasn’t announced a debut date for "Flora and Son" but unquestionably it will be this year, perhaps in the fall when awards season punditry begins.
Meanwhile, Hewson, 31, is back living with mom and dad in their Killiney, Co Dublin home, she told the Irish Independent. Proud mom Ali Hewson was with her daughter in Sundance for her big splash.
What a moment ❤️ https://t.co/Stxeth7G6e
— Eve Hewson (@EveHewson) January 23, 2023
“She makes fun of me all the time because I was like, ‘I’m moving to America to become a star," Eve said about her mom.
"But it’s just been so special working on Irish characters and Irish writers and Irish directors and just getting to be at home is just such a different feeling than when you’re in the middle of nowhere."
*This column first appeared in the February 8 edition of the weekly Irish Voice newspaper, sister publication to IrishCentral.
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