Neon, the studio behind “Parasite” and “Anora,” has won a fierce bidding war for the U.S. rights to “Once Upon a Time in Harlem.”
The documentary was planned and filmed by the late William Greaves in 1972 and restored and directed by his son David Greaves. It premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and received rave reviews. At various points, Netflix, Sony Pictures Classics, and Mubi were competing for the rights to the film. Neon plans to release the film in theaters later this year. The sale marks the indie studio’s second acquisition, following the deal for the queer horror film Leviticus.
“Once Upon a Time in Harlem” chronicles Greaves’ parties with the living giants of the Harlem Renaissance. For four hours, this group of artists and writers reminisced, debated and shared drinks about the cultural revolution they initiated and the changes they experienced in the part of the city they call home.
More than 50 years later, one of the first cameramen, David Greaves, used his father’s notes and workprints to create a new film. Once Upon a Time in Harlem will be produced by Liani Greaves, David’s granddaughter. David and Liani serve as President and Vice President of Production, respectively, of William Greaves Productions. Louise Archambault Greaves, William’s wife and creative partner of 55 years, co-founded the company in 1963. After William passed away in 2014, she worked on restoring his films. Producer Anne de Meer worked with Louise to preserve and digitize over 60,000 feet of never-before-seen 16mm footage shot by Greaves in 1972. The preservation was overseen by multidisciplinary artist and preservationist Bill Brand. Louise passed away in 2023.
In a rave review, Variety’s Lisa Kennedy wrote, “‘Once Upon a Time in Harlem’ not only turns viewers into time travelers, it also invites guests, who are justifiably grateful to be in the room. For some of us, the film may evoke the wonder of great-grandchildren listening to grown-up reminiscences. We nod at the content and smile at the style.”
The deal was negotiated by Sarah Colvin, vice president of acquisitions for Neon & Jason Ishikawa, and Isadora Johnson of Cinetic Media on behalf of the filmmakers.
