Sean Baker lands multimillion-dollar deal for raunchy next film

Following the success of his Oscar-winning Anora, filmmaker Sean Baker has secured a multimillion-dollar deal for his next film.

Sean Baker has secured a multimillion-dollar deal for his raunchy next film.

Following the success of his Oscar-winning Anora, the deal to make the movie Ti Amo! marks a significant financial turning point in his career.

Sean, 55, has been flying high after his film Anora – the sex-worker dramedy that won best picture and saw the filmmaker take home four Oscars in one night – and he describes his new project as “an ode to the Italian sex comedies of the ’60s and ’70s”.

Warner Bros. confirmed it had acquired the film at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, with the deal handled through its indie-focused label Clockwork, led by Christian Parkes, formerly of Neon.

The financial details, not disclosed publicly at the event, were reported by Variety, which said Clockwork secured global distribution rights for the movie for $22 million.

The budget, financed by FilmNation, is expected to exceed $10 million, with the final figure pending completion of Sean’s script.

Any surplus from the deal is set to be shared among FilmNation, production partners and Sean, who will serve as writer, director, editor and producer.

Sean’s earlier work was defined by low-budget filmmaking – including Tangerine, which was shot on an iPhone – and the agreement represents a huge shift for him towards greater financial stability.

Under the new arrangement, Clockwork will oversee release, marketing and strategy globally of Sean’s new film, except in France – marking the first time Sean has worked with a single distributor across most territories.

An executive familiar with the deal told Variery: “Isn’t it great to see a filmmaker like Sean who has earned his way up finally get rewarded so he can keep getting to make movies his way?”

Sean had previously taken the project to multiple bidders, including A24 and Searchlight Pictures.

One offer for US rights alone was said to be around $5 million, according to sources cited by Variety, while others approached the scale of the eventual global deal.

The project was sold on the strength of a pitch, with filming expected to begin in September.

Sean’s agreement does not require a confirmed cast, and he is not expected to attach a major star to the project.