Wheeling and Dealing at Sundance

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that films were being bought at the Sundance Film Festival after a slow weekend.

The festival's first major deal took place just after midnight when Overture Films bought "Henry Poole Is Here," starring Luke Wilson as a terminally ill man. Three people close to the negotiations said that the price paid was a minimum guarantee of $3.5 million for the rights to release the film in the United States. Despite the circumstances of Wilson's character, "The New York Times" described the film as a "light-hearted tale" that features a water stain on a stucco wall that looks like Jesus.

At about 3 a.m., Focus Features beat out competitors with its winning bid of $10 million to get "Hamlet 2," starring Steve Coogan as a failed actor who becomes a high-school drama teacher and stages a musical sequel to "Hamlet."

Around two hours later, Fox Searchlight agreed to pay for "Choke," starring Sam Rockwell as a man who cons others by forcing himself to choke in fancy restaurants. The film's price was a mid-seven figure.