Blue Harbor, Variance Land U.S. Rights To 'The Musical'
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- Blue Harbor Entertainment and Variance Films acquired U.S. rights to the Sundance comedy "The Musical," starring Will Brill, Rob Lowe, and Gillian Jacobs.
- A nationwide theatrical release is set for Sept. 18, with Unapologetic Projects Partners teaming with Blue Harbor and Variance on the rollout.
- "The Musical" marks the feature directorial debut of actress-turned-filmmaker Giselle Bonilla and follows a disgruntled playwright turned middle-school theater teacher (Brill) who plots revenge against his ex's new boyfriend, the school principal (Lowe), by secretly staging the most inappropriate play imaginable with his students.
- The film premiered at Sundance in January in the U.S. Dramatic Competition and is based on Bonilla and Alexander Heller's short film of the same name, which won the Audience Award at the 2024 Proof Film Festival and received a Special Jury Mention.
- Rob Lowe is among the producers alongside Greg Lauritano, Alexander Heller, Findlay Brown, and Jordan Backhus; EPs include Jonathan Levine, Chris Quintos Cathcart, Tyler Boehm, Bonilla, Vince Jolivette, and Alan Pao.
- The deal was brokered by WME Independent on behalf of the filmmakers; Blue Harbor, led by Amanda Sherwin, Mike Messina, and Seth Needle, recently released the 2025 Sundance U.S. directing award-winner "Ricky" and is set to release sci-fi thriller "Orion" this fall.
Why it matters: The acquisition gives Blue Harbor and Variance a fall theatrical title anchored by recognizable names (Lowe, Jacobs) and a Sundance U.S. Dramatic Competition pedigree, slotting into the Sept. 18 corridor just as the indie prestige-film season opens. For Bonilla, the deal elevates her from 2024 short-film Audience Award winner to feature filmmaker with a nationwide rollout.
