Cumberbatch stars in another literary adaptation, “The Thing With Feathers,” based on Max Porter’s experimental and poetic novel about a grieving husband and two young sons.
“It’s one of these juicy roles that big actors relish taking a bite out of,” said Yutani.
Family tragedy and fatherhood are also the themes of “Omaha,” with John Magaro (“Past Lives”) delivering “an emotional gut punch of a role” that could spell awards, according to Yutani.
Elsewhere, Olivia Colman plays a mother taking her non-binary teen to visit their gay grandfather (John Lithgow) in “Jimpa.”
Rapper A$AP Rocky and late-night host Conan O’Brien make up the eclectic cast of mystery “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.”
And “The Bear” star Ayo Edebiri teams up with John Malkovich for thriller “Opus,” about a young writer investigating the mysterious disappearance of a legendary pop star.
Music, politics
Music is also a prominent theme of Sundance’s documentary selection, which has launched several of the most recent Oscar-winning non-fiction films.
A new “must-see” Jeff Buckley documentary features never-before-seen footage from “three very important women in his life, including his mother,” said Yutani.
Elegance Bratton explores the Chicago roots of house music with “Move Ya Body: The Birth of House,” while Oscar-winning director Questlove examines funk pioneer Sly Stone in “Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius).”
Politics will again be prominent.
