Lionsgate Takes Our Advice, Buys Buried

Movieline's Dept. of Distribution Consultancy will soon collect its first commission, with Lionsgate upholding this site's urgent recommendation to pick up the stunning Ryan Reynolds thriller Buried. The 'Gate reportedly outbid Fox Searchlight in negotiations that ran through Sunday morning, dropping between $3 million and $4 million on director Rodrigo Cortés's taut tale of an American contractor attempting to facilitate his rescue while buried alive somewhere in the Iraq desert. That's more than I would have guessed it'd sell for, but it's probably going to make a fortune, so hey. And good to see healthy market buys return to Sundance; expect The Company Men and happythankyoumoreplease to go next in the hours and days ahead. [Deadline]