Netflix in Talks to Buy Radha Blank’s ‘The 40-Year-Old Version’

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Netflix is in negotiations to buy the worldwide rights to Radha Blank’s semi-autobiographical comedy “The 40-Year-Old Version,” sources have confirmed.

Blank directed, wrote, produced and stars in “,” which premiered on Jan. 25 at the Sundance Film Festival. Peter Y. Kim, Oswin Benjamin, Reed Birney, Imani Lewis, TJ Atoms and Jacob Ming-Trent also star.

Blank portrays a down-on-her-luck New York playwright who decides to reinvent herself and salvage her artistic voice the only way she knows how — by becoming a rapper at age 40. This film follow its protagonist as she vacillates between the worlds of New York’s theater and hip-hop.

The film was shot on 35mm black and white film by cinematographer Eric Branco. “The 40-Year-Old Version” was selected for development at Sundance’s 2017 Screenwriters and Directors labs.

Besides Blank, producers include Lena Waithe, Jordan Fudge, Inuka Bacote-Capiga, Jennifer Semler and Rishi Rajani. Endeavor Content is handling sales.

Variety critic Peter Debruge said in his review, “Blank’s first feature is an earnest, honest, often hilarious testimonial from a gifted writer (the Off Broadway play ‘Seed’ earned her a shot at working with Spike Lee) about what it means for someone in her position to reinvent.”

Blank has been a writer and producer on “She’s Gotta Have It” and a writer on “Empire.” The film’s title closely resembles the 2005 Steve Carell comedy “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” The news about the talks was first reported by Deadline Hollywood. and Endeavor Content had no comment.