Netflix Buys ‘Train Dreams’ At Sundance; Deal In High-Teen Millions

Netflix is buying the Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones drama Train Dreams out of the Sundance Film Festival. Sources tell us that the deal is in the high-teen millions. The pic made its debut in the Premieres section of the fest.

Train Dreams is based on the 2011 Denis Johnson novella and directed by Oscar nominee Clint Bentley, who co-adapted the script with Greg Kwedar. It follows Robert Grainer, an average man living in extraordinary times who works as a day laborer in the American West at the beginning of the 20th century. Battered by the death of his family, he struggles to adjust to this new environment.

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Deadline first told you about the first deal out of Sundance: Neon’s $15 million global pickup of Michael Shanks’ horror movie Together starring Dave Franco, Alison Brie and Damon Herriman. Both deals were brokered by WME Independent.

Black Bear and Kamala Films produced Train Dreams with Marissa McMahon, Teddy Schwarzman, Will Janowitz, Ashley Schlaifer and Michael Heimler. EPs are Edgerton, Scott Hinckley, Kwedar and John Friedberg.

William H. Macy and Kerry Condon also star.

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Out of the fest, Trains Dreams carries at 92% fresh score with critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Netflix has had a busy morning with a huge news blast about its 2025 film and TV slates. The headlines were made yesterday in a Next on Netflix press conference in Los Angeles.

Netflix has historically made a big splash out of Sundance. Among some of their notable pickups in years past were the ultimate four-time Oscar-nominated Southern period drama Mudbound, which the streamer acquired for $12.5M. In 2023, they snapped up the erotic thriller Fair Play starring Bridgerton‘s Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich for $20M.

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