The Hype That Fizzled
Imagine this: a crime thriller with Matthew McConaughey and Kurt Russell, dripping with Oklahoma grit, premieres at SXSW to rave reviews. The director, Andrew Patterson, already has indie darling The Vast of Night under his belt. The bidding war should've been a bloodbath.
Instead? Crickets.
The Price of Overconfidence
Here's the uncomfortable truth—The Rivals of Amziah King isn't being ignored because it's bad. It's being ignored because it's priced like it's already won an Oscar. Sources say Black Bear & Heyday's asking number is too damn high, scaring off prestige buyers. And with a lukewarm 65 Metacritic score, studios aren't biting.
“SXSW hype is like tequila shots at 2 AM—euphoric in the moment, brutal the next day.”
Buyers have been burned before. Remember The Beach Bum? McConaughey's last SXSW darling was supposed to be a comeback. Instead, it flopped harder than a drunk frat boy at a pool party.
The Metacritic Problem
Hollywood worships at the altar of aggregate scores. A 65 isn't bad, but it's not ”shut up and take my money” good. For comparison:
- Past Lives (A24's 2023 awards player): 94
- The Vast of Night (Patterson's debut): 78
Studio heads see that 65 and think: ”Is this worth the risk, or should we just greenlight another Fast & Furious spin-off?”
The SXSW Curse
Let's be real—SXSW is where hype goes to overinflate and die. Remember The Disaster Artist? Loved at SXSW, forgotten by December. Amziah King might be good, but is it $20M marketing campaign good? Buyers aren't convinced.
The Path Forward
If Amziah King wants salvation, it needs Neon, A24, or Focus—studios that turn underdogs into contenders. But time's running out. Without a distributor soon, this could go straight to VOD purgatory.
Final Thought: Would you bet millions on a 65 Metacritic score?
