Netflix Lands Hit Man Rights for $20 Million

The biggest deal out of this year's Toronto Film Festival has been signed, sealed and delivered, and it comes in the form of $20 million as Netflix scoops us Hit Man, the noir comic thriller from Richard Linklater.

Written by Linklater in collaboration with the film's leading man, Glen Powell, the story is based on the Texas Monthly article from Skip Hollandsworth.

Gary Johnson is the most sought-after professional killer in New Orleans. To his clients, he is like something out of a movie: the mysterious gun for hire. But if you pay him to rub out a cheating spouse or an abusive boss, you’d better watch your back - he works for the cops. When he breaks protocol to help a desperate woman trying to flee an abusive husband, he finds himself becoming one of his false personas, falling for the woman and flirting with turning into a criminal himself.

The deal gives Netflix US, UK, Australia/New Zealand, India, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, and Iceland rights with a rumoured theatrical release element to the deal, also.

Hit Man premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 5 before travelling overseas for its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11.

The film was a hit with critics who gave it a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes from 42 reviews, calling it "one of the most entertaining movies of the year" and "smart and steamy screwball fun".

While there's no confirmed release date just yet, it does have a couple more stops on its festival tour in October at the New York Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival.