15 Biggest Box Office Hits That Premiered at Sundance, From ‘The Blair Witch Project’ to ‘Get Out’ (Photos)
Sundance is the biggest market for indie films around, and for good reason. The festival has a history of finding the quirky, independent crowd-pleaser that goes on to be a box office smash. 2020 saw a record sale of $17.5 million for the Andy Samberg comedy “Palm Springs,” which proved to be one of Hulu’s biggest movies ever. And while some films fizzle at the box office despite their festival hype, many more manage to sustain that buzz all the way until Oscar season. Here’s a few that made a splash at both Park City and for wide audiences. All box office figures are domestic numbers.
15. “A Walk in the Woods” (2015) – $29.5 million
It should come as no surprise that Robert Redford premiered a movie he starred in at at his own festival. But he also proved that he still carries some box office clout. The film, acquired by Broad Green Pictures, was behind only “Dope,” which was picked up for $18 million, in terms of festival acquisitions in 2015.
14. “(500) Days of Summer” (2009) – $35.9 million
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel starred in this inventive indie rom-com from director Marc Webb that Fox Searchlight distributed to make it one of the sleeper indie hits of the summer of 2009.
