‘Equals’ Starring Kristen Stewart And Nicholas Hoult Inspires Heated Bidding War At TIFF

Equals, the sci-fi romance starring Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult, is closing in on a rumored seven-figure deal after its run at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Equals Incites Bidding War After TIFF Premiere

Stewart and Hoult brought their new futuristic romance to Toronto after premiering Equals at the Venice Film Festival earlier this summer. Stewart and Hoult star in Equals as young protagonists Nia and Silas, respectively, living in a futuristic world where human emotions have been eradicated. But, when Silas begins to feel affection for Nia, the two begin to fall in love.

“So it’s a movie about these people living in a collective, and we’re very concerned about the progressive nature of our ‘culture,’ even though we lack culture completely. We have stifled every emotion, anything to do with anger, fear. We’re completely neutralized. So it definitely begs the question: Would you even get out of bed? Would you exist anymore? Probably not. I think the only way to be truly progressive and to truly move forward is to not ignore your heart and your feelings,” Stewart said in an interview with EW.

The film from director Drake Doremus (Like Crazy) has been receiving positive buzz since before it even started filming, mostly thanks to its more than bankable young stars, Hoult and Stewart. Both Stewart and Hoult have starred in successful studio franchises — Stewart led all four Twilight Saga films, and Hoult co-stars in the current X-Men reboot. So, it’s no surprise that the film has incited a bidding war between distributors Paramount, A24 and Sony Picture Classics. Equals is currently closing in on a seven-figure deal for domestic distribution, and is expected to sell for $16 million once a deal is reached for international distribution.