Cannes 2026 Movies Sold So Far: Manuela Martelli Mystery ‘The Meltdown’ Acquired by Kino Lorber
SkimNews Take
A diverse slate of buyers—from established arthouse labels to streaming giants and first-time Cannes acquirers—picking up titles across every festival section suggests the acquisition market is fragmenting rather than consolidating, lowering entry barriers for new capital.
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- Kino Lorber acquired U.S. rights to Manuela Martelli's Un Certain Regard mystery "The Meltdown," a Chilean film set in 1992 at a ski resort where a German competitive skier disappears, with theatrical release planned for early 2027.
- Netflix picked up Marie Kreutzer's Competition film "Gentle Monster" starring Léa Seydoux as an avant-garde pianist whose husband may be a child sex offender — the streamer's third Cannes acquisition alongside animated "In Waves" and Spanish epic "The Black Ball."
- A24 acquired Jordan Firstman's Un Certain Regard comedy about a washed-up New York party promoter who finds a child he never knew he had, winning out in a competitive situation with most major distributors bidding.
- Neon partnered with James Gray for the first time on Competition crime thriller "Paper Tiger," starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller — one of just two American films in this year's competition slate.
- Janus Films acquired Valeska Grisebach's Competition entry (the Jury Prize winner) starring Yana Radeva, which our critic praised for faces "with striking, weatherbeaten features" against an era of Botox and fillers.
- Sony Pictures Classics landed all rights to Pegah Ahangarani's L'Oeil d'Or-winning debut documentary, a deeply personal 40-year autobiographical portrait of her Iranian family stretching from 1979 through the ongoing war in Iran.
- Clockwork (Warner Bros.' new indie label) will release an uncut restoration of Ken Russell's long-unavailable "The Devils" in a one-week special theatrical engagement beginning October 16, the label's first repertory release.
Why it matters: Netflix's third Cannes pickup of 2026 — including a Léa Seydoux vehicle positioned for a Best Actress push — confirms the streamer is committing to prestige theatrical awards plays, while the rise of 1-2 Special (two buys) and Clockwork's bold restoration debut signal real new competition for established specialty buyers in a market that last year turned Neon into a Palme d'Or winner.
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