Jerrod Carmichael’s ‘On the Count of Three’ Picked Up by

Annapurna Pictures has acquired the North American rights to “On the Count of Three,” the movie starring and directed by comic Jerrod Carmichael that premiered at this yr’s Sundance.

The distributor acquired the movie in a close to $2 million deal, two people with information instructed TheWrap. Annapurna will market and distribute the movie with a accomplice to be introduced shortly.

Carmichael and Christopher Abbott star in “On the Count of Three,” which is about two armed finest pals who plan to take every others’ lives by the tip of the day. The movie additionally stars Tiffany Haddish, J.B. Smoove, Lavell Crawford and Henry Winkler in supporting roles. Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch wrote the screenplay, and the movie is Carmichael’s characteristic directorial debut.

The movie earned some robust evaluations out of Sundance as a darkish comedy that doesn’t overlook its grimly severe subject material. TheWrap’s Alonso Duralde additionally singled out Carmichael’s positive hand behind the digicam, even for a debut filmmaker.

“It’s very easy for an indie comedy about suicide to tumble into glibness, but Carmichael and his writers take these characters and their plights absolutely seriously,” Duralde wrote. “One of the best things that can be said about ‘On the Count of Three’ is that it forces viewers to dispel any certainty that its protagonists won’t wind up dead at the end, which provides the film with both integrity and unpredictability.”

“Megan’s commercial vision for daring independent films is unparalleled and we couldn’t feel luckier to find a home with her,” producer Adam Paulsen of Valparaiso Pictures stated in an announcement. “I was fortunate enough early in my career to witness first-hand how she championed SPRING BREAKERS in a way no one else saw, and most recently on ‘Sorry to Bother You’ and countless others. We’re thrilled for Megan to get behind the release.”

“On the Count of Three” is a co-production of Valparaiso Pictures and Werner Entertainment. The movie’s producers are Adam Paulsen, David Carrico, Tom Werner, Jake Densen, Jerrod Carmichael, Ari Katcher and Jimmy Price. Its government producers embody Christopher Storer, Michael Baker, Tyson Bidner, Ryan Welch, Pete Dakich and Mike Roberts.

The movie additionally went on to win the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for its writers Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch.

UTA Independent Film Group brokered the deal.

Deadline first reported the information.