Netflix shells out over $15 million to acquire Rebecca Hall’s Passing

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Netflix has never been shy about shelling out the big bucks to get what they want, and Deadline has reported that the streaming service is nearing a deal to acquire Passing, a drama written and directed by Rebecca Hall that recently debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.

According to Deadline's sources, the deal will likely land at around $15.75 million, which is definitely a big chunk of change. Passing is set during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and stars Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga as Irene and Clare, two mixed-race women who were once childhood friends and have now reunited as adults when they discover that they now live on opposite sides of the colour line. Clare (Negga) "passes" as white and is married to John (Alexander Skarsgard), a racist man who has no idea of his wife's true heritage, while Irene (Thompson) is married to Brian (Andre Holland), a doctor. The film examines racial identity and how the nature of those identities impact us. Rebecca Hall wrote the script based on the novel by Nella Larson and made her feature directorial debut with the film.

Our own Chris Bumbray recently reviewed Passing, calling it a "delicate, beautifully done film," and also praised Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, who are "exceptional in their highly nuanced roles." You can check out the rest of Bumbray's review right here. Passing debuted at the Sundance Film Festival on January 30th, but it's not yet known when Netflix would release the film.