EXCLUSIVE: We are hearing from sources that Origin, the new movie from Oscar nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay, is not only the highest tested movie in her career, but for Neon, the pic’s distributor too.
Origin landed a 91 total positive in the top two boxes with an 81 definite recommend in its audience testing, outstripping Neon’s Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or and 2020 Best Picture Oscar winner, Parasite, which clocked a 91 total positive and 73 definite recommend, as well as the studio’s other Oscar winner, I, Tonya, which earned an 88 total positive, and 68 definite recommend.
We understand that the focus groups who remain after an Origin test screening are emotionally in tears, moved by what they’ve just seen, with deep conversations with other moviegoers on the pic’s social issues.
The movie has an awards qualifying release in LA and NYC on Dec. 8 before opening on Jan. 19. Neon took global rights on Origin before its premiere at the Venice Film Festival where it received an eight-minute standing ovation.
Read more on deadline.com