'If I Go Will They Miss Me' Sells Following Sundance Film Festival

Mar 3, 2026 10:00am PT ‘If I Go Will They Miss Me’ Sells in Six-Figure Deal Following Sundance Film Festival Debut (EXCLUSIVE) By Rebecca Rubin Plus Icon Rebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter rebeccaarubin Latest Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity Sets First-Look Streaming Deal at Netflix 18 hours ago ‘Scream 7’ Actor Anna Camp Apologizes for Sharing Post That Hit Back at Boycotts Over Melissa Barrera Firing: ‘I Meant No Harm’ 23 hours ago Michael B. Jordan Wins Best Actor for ‘Sinners’ at Actor Awards in Oscar Race Shakeup: ‘I’m So Honored and Privileged’ 2 days ago See All Courtesy of Salaud Morisset “If I Go Will They Miss Me,” a coming-of-age drama that premiered at Sundance Film Festival, has landed at indie distributor Rich Spirit. The six-figure deal includes U.S. rights and select international territories. A fall theatrical release is being planned. Walter Thompson-Hernandez wrote and directed “If I Go Will They Miss Me,” which stars Danielle Brooks, J. Alphonse Nicholson and Bodhi Dell. Based on Thompson-Hernandez’s short of the same name, the film follows 12-year-old Lil Ant (Dell) who struggles to connect with his distant father (Nicholson) as he begins sensing mysterious visions. Related Stories Trump Slams Bill Maher as a 'Highly Overrated Lightweight' and Calls Their White House Dinner a 'Complete Waste of Time': 'He Is No Different Than Kimmel, Fallon, or Colbert' “Premiering ‘If I Go Will They Miss Me’ at Sundance was such a dream, and I’m so grateful to partner with Rich Spirit for the next chapter,” Thompson-Hernandez said in a statement. “This film was a labor of love from start to finish; I’m beyond proud of our team and so excited for audiences to experience this story in theaters.” Popular on Variety At Sundance, “If I Go Will They Miss Me” earned strong reviews, with Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge calling Thompson-Hernandez a “talent-to-watch” and praising the movie as a “one-of-a-kind Sundance discovery.” “If I Go Will They Miss Me” was produced by Josh Peters, Saba Zerehi and Ben Stillman. Executive producers include Robina Riccitiello, Steve Beckman, Isaac Ericson, Jennifer J. Pritzker, Meredith Crowley, Jonathan Weiner, Grace Lay, Tyler Bagley, Jack Chinery, Ryan Lynn, Brooks and Nicholson. Jon Batiste recorded a cover of “This Bitter Earth” for the film and served as an executive producer.  The deal was negotiated by Eugene Pikulin at Bruns Brennan Berry Pikulin & Jacobs LLP and UTA Independent Film Group on behalf of the filmmakers and Rich Spirit. James Shani’s Rich Spirit landed on Hollywood’s radar with “The Apprentice,” a well-reviewed but controversial Donald Trump biopic that struggled to find distribution. The company’s second release was “BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions,” a documentary described as an “ongoing art project that blurs the lines between art, journalism, entrepreneurship, and cultural critique.” Jump to Comments Caleb McLaughlin on Wanting to Play Miles Morales and Moving On From ‘Stranger Things’ ‘Goat’ Star Gabrielle Union and Filmmakers on Reanimating Basketball Culture for the Big Screen: ‘Ball Is Life’ Box Office: ‘Wuthering Heights’ Falls for $11 Million on Opening Day; ‘GOAT’ Takes Second With $7.1 Million Jacob Elordi, Margot Robbie’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ Tops U.K., Ireland Box Office ‘Scream 7’ Slashes Its Way to No. 1 at U.K., Ireland Box Office Box Office: ‘Wuthering Heights’ Leads Again With $4.6 Million; ‘How to Make a Killing’ Takes Out $1.6 Million on Opening Day JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...