Searchlight Pictures Buys Jesse Eisenberg’s Kieran Culkin Starrer ‘A Real Pain’ for $10M

Searchlight Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to  Jesse Eisenberg’s acclaimed A Real Pain to the tune of $10 million dollars, the first big buy of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.  The comedy, which premiered to standing ovations at the festival, was written and directed by Eisenberg, who drew the film from his own personal history. Searchlight Pictures will release A Real Pain theatrically this year. 

Eisenberg also stars alongside Kieran Culkin (Succession), Will Sharpe (The White Lotus), Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing), Kurt Egyiawan  (Beasts of No Nation), Liza Sadovy (A Small Light), Daniel Oreskes (Only Murders in the Building). The film was produced by Dave McCary, Ali Herting, Emma Stone for Fruit Tree, Jennifer Semler, and Ewa Puszczynska. Executive producers are Ryan Heller, Jennifer Westin, and Michael Bloom of Topic Studios, and Kevin Kelly.

A Real Pain follows mismatched cousins David and Benji who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother and end up joining a Holocaust tour. The adventure takes a turn when the pair’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.

“We are blown away by Jesse’s vision and craft in telling this hilarious and profound film,” said Searchlight Presidents Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum.“He tells a deeply personal story and makes it universal. We can’t wait to bring it to audiences around the world.”

Eisenberg added, “Making A Real Pain was a true labor of love, and it has been so thrilling to premiere at Sundance. I couldn’t be more honored to work with Searchlight and to bring this story to a wider audience.”

“We are the utmost believers in Jesse as a creative voice and were thrilled to collaborate again on his second film with such ambitious scope and themes,” said Ali Herting, Dave McCary and Emma Stone of Fruit Tree. “To have another friend and beloved collaborator on board in the singular Kieran Culkin was more than we can ask for, as well as working with the amazing team at Searchlight.”

“We could not be more proud of Jesse and this beautiful film, and are absolutely thrilled to re-team with David, Matthew and our friends at Searchlight on its release,” said Ryan Heller, EVP of Film and Documentary at Topic Studios.

The crafts team is rounded out by director of photography Michal Dymek (EO), editor Robert Nassau (The Big Sick), production designer Mela Melak (High Life), costume designer Malgorzata Fudala.

CAA Media Finance and WME Independent brokered the deal with Searchlight execs Paul Hoffman and Chan Phung.

Searchlight recently released Yorgos Lanthimos’ Golden Lion and Golden Globe winner Poor Things, starring and produced by Emma Stone, and Andrew Haigh’s critically acclaimed romantic drama All of Us Strangers. At Sundance, the specialty label is world premiering Laura Chinn’s Suncoast, starring Laura Linney, Nico Parker, and Woody Harrelson.