'The Farewell' Director Lulu Wang Turned Down a Nearly $15 Million Deal From a Streaming Company for A24's Theatrical Rollout

After a rapturous reception at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, Lulu Wang‘s The Farewell shot to the top of the most anticipated indies of the year and sold to A24 for a deal estimated between $6 million and $7 million. But it turns out that this wasn’t the only deal that Wang was considering. The filmmaker revealed that a “streaming company” counter-offered A24 with a deal that was “more than double” the amount that the beloved indie distributor was offering. But Wang ultimately turned them down.

In a new interview with Vulture, Wang revealed that she was torn between A24’s $6-7 million offer and a nearly $15 million offer from a “streaming company” that she left unnamed. But we can probably assume which company it is, considering a certain service’s penchant for snapping up indie sensations and burying them in their crowded collections (cough, Netflix). But for a rising star like Wang, who makes her feature directorial debut with The Farewell, it was a deal that seemed too good to pass up. She told Vulture:

“I was pretty upset because we were all so happy with the [A24] deal before this other offer came in. That’s kind of how capitalism works — it ruins things because it shifts your perspective entirely.”

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