A24 wins Jordan Firstman's Club Kid for $17m after Cannes bidding war

A24 has acquired worldwide rights to Club Kid, the directorial debut of comedian Jordan Firstman, paying a reported $17m after a heated bidding war at the Cannes Film Festival, Variety reports. The figure ranks among the more aggressive festival acquisitions of the year and signals strong conviction in the project's commercial prospects.

The film, in which Firstman also stars, follows a party promoter forced to confront adulthood when his ten-year-old son unexpectedly turns up at his door. It premiered as an official selection before sparking a rapid sales process that drew many of the most active buyers in the specialty market.

For Firstman, who built a following through sharp comedic work, the deal represents a substantial leap into feature filmmaking and a high-profile vote of confidence from one of the most influential independent distributors operating today. A debut launching at this level sets considerable expectations for the finished film's commercial performance.

A crowded chase

Multiple distributors competed for the title, including Mubi, Focus Features, Searchlight, Netflix and Neon, with offers said to have climbed quickly from seven figures to the final price. Topic Studios financed and produced the project, giving it the backing to enter Cannes as one of the more talked-about titles in the market.

The breadth of the bidding field, spanning streamers, studio specialty labels and independents, illustrates how a single buzzy premiere can ignite competition across very different distribution models. Each suitor would have weighed the film's theatrical potential against its value as platform content, with A24 ultimately prevailing on a worldwide basis after a contest that escalated rapidly.

The deal underscores A24's continued willingness to pay up for distinctive, talent-driven comedies at festivals, even as much of the specialty market remains cautious on big upfront acquisitions. Securing worldwide rights, rather than a territory-by-territory arrangement, gives the distributor control over the film's global rollout and positioning, an increasingly important advantage in coordinating marketing across markets.

The art of the festival acquisition

Cannes has long functioned as one of the most important marketplaces in world cinema, where a well-received premiere can trigger a frenzy of competitive offers within hours. Acquisitions at this level carry real risk, since a high upfront price must be recouped through theatrical, streaming and ancillary revenue, but the upside of landing a breakout can be considerable.

The pressure of a live auction, conducted amid the intensity of a major festival, can push prices well beyond what a film might command in a calmer negotiation. Distributors must balance the fear of missing a potential hit against the danger of overpaying for a title that fails to connect once the festival glow fades. A24's willingness to commit at $17m reflects both its confidence in the material and its belief that it can market the film effectively.

The presence of so many streamers in the chase also illustrates how festival economics have changed. Platforms with deep resources can outbid traditional distributors for buzzy titles, yet sellers increasingly value a partner that will guarantee a theatrical release and the cultural cachet it confers, a calculation that may have worked in A24's favour despite the breadth of the field.

• Buyer: A24, securing worldwide rights
• Reported price: around $17m
• Other bidders: Mubi, Focus Features, Searchlight, Netflix and Neon
• Financier and producer: Topic Studios
• Director and star: Jordan Firstman, making his feature directorial debut
• Premise: a party promoter confronts fatherhood when his ten-year-old son arrives at his door

“The bidding escalated rapidly from seven-figure initial offers to the final figure.”

— Variety report on the Club Kid sale

Background: A24's reputation play

A24 has cultivated one of the strongest brand identities in modern film, associated with bold, filmmaker-driven work that often blends critical prestige with cult appeal. That reputation allows it to attract distinctive projects and gives it confidence to compete aggressively for titles it believes fit its sensibility, even against far larger rivals with deeper pockets.

A film critic observed that a comedian making a transition to directing is a perennial gamble, but one that has produced some of the most original recent voices in American comedy, making the bet a calculated risk rather than a reckless one. A24's track record of backing first-time and idiosyncratic filmmakers suggests it is comfortable with that kind of wager.

What happens next

A24 will now plan a theatrical rollout, betting that Firstman's profile and the film's premise can translate festival buzz into commercial returns. The distributor's track record of building word of mouth around offbeat releases will be tested as it shapes a release strategy, timing and marketing campaign designed to carry the momentum from Cannes through to cinemas and beyond, where a strong run could establish Firstman as a feature filmmaker to watch.