Final Shots: Netflix Acquires $5 Million Russian Olympic Doping Documentary ‘Icarus’

Netflix has acquired worldwide SVOD rights to director Bryan Fogel’s Russian Olympic doping documentary, Icarus. The landmark $5 million deal for the Sundance Film Festival premiere is the largest ever for a non-fiction film.

According to Variety, the platform beat out several studios including Sony Pictures Classics, Neon, Magnolia, and Amazon. The film follows amateur bike racer Fogel as he investigates the infamous doping scandal by doping himself with help from Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov. “This has been an intense 3.5-year personal journey that exposed the biggest scandal in sports history,” said Fogel. “To be able to work with Netflix, a company that is able to launch this story globally in such a big way, with such potential for social and political impact, is a spectacular honor.”

In other news…

Netflix has secured worldwide SVOD rights to Sundance Film Festival’s Closing Night film, The Incredible Jessica James. The modern comedy film written and directed by Jim Strouse stars Jessica Williams as a newly single aspiring playwright in New York City. [Deadline]

Netflix furthered its Sundance domination yesterday with the acquisition of director Brian Knappenberger’s documentary Nobody Speak: Hulk Hogan, Gawker and Trials of a Free Press. The highly-anticipated pic centers on Hulk Hogan’s historic legal battle with Gawker. [The Verge]

Noel Wells and Ben Schwartz are set to star in Netflix’s forthcoming romantic comedy, Happy Anniversary. Filming for the original feature, which is directed by Lego Batman writer Jared Stern, will begin on January 31 in Los Angeles. [Variety]

Netflix has released the official trailer for Bill Burr’s new stand-up comedy special Walk Your Way Out. The one-hour original feature, during which the comedian (and F Is for Family mastermind) tackles everything from sinking cruise ships to celebrity fat shaming, premieres Tuesday, January 31:

Michael is a music and television junkie keen on most things that are not a complete and total bore. You can follow him on Twitter — @Tweetskoor