Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan’s star in Sundance drama ‘Josephine‘ from Director Beth de Araújo Josephine and landed a major distribution deal. Director Beth de Araújo’s thriller debuts in Berlin next.
San Francisco becomes the haunting backdrop for one of 2025’s most emotionally devastating films
A little girl witnesses something unthinkable in Golden Gate Park. Her parents must help her survive the aftermath. And moviegoers at Sundance couldn’t stop crying.
“Josephine,” the psychological thriller starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan alongside newcomer Mason Reeves, just became Sumerian Pictures’ biggest acquisition in a competitive seven-figure deal that positions the film as a serious awards contender. For anyone who thinks they’ve seen every variation of trauma drama, director Beth de Araújo’s autobiographical work suggests otherwise.
When a Farmer’s Market Discovery Becomes Sundance’s First Sensation
De Araújo didn’t cast her lead through traditional Hollywood channels. She found eight-year-old Mason Reeves at a San Francisco farmer’s market, the same city where the film unfolds. “It was magic when her audition tape came in,” de Araújo told Variety. “She’s never acted before, but she’s an incredibly smart and emotionally intelligent person.”
That instinct paid off spectacularly. When “Josephine” premiered at Sundance’s Eccles Theatre on January 23, the crowd delivered a standing ovation before the film even started. Tatum scooped up his pint-sized co-star and swung her around with visible joy. By the end, audience members were wiping away tears, and the Channing Tatum Sundance drama had become the festival’s breakout conversation piece.
The film tackles an eight-year-old’s witness account of a sexual assault in Golden Gate Park with what Variety’s Peter Debruge called remarkable subtlety. “It may sound strange to use the word ‘subtle’ to describe a film that opens with a brutal assault, and yet, de Araújo excels in constructing a universal human experience out of incredibly specific details,” Debruge wrote in his review.
From Blumhouse Breakout to Awards Season Heavyweight
De Araújo isn’t new to making audiences profoundly uncomfortable. Her 2022 single-shot thriller “Soft & Quiet” debuted at SXSW before Blumhouse snapped it up and Momentum Pictures released it that fall. But “Josephine” represents a significant creative evolution, one that blends autobiographical fiction with the kind of nuanced performances that get Academy voters reaching for their tissue boxes.
Sumerian Pictures, founded by Ash Avildsen as an artist-led independent creative studio, recently expanded into film distribution. Company president Rob Williams and Avildsen negotiated the deal with WME Independent and CAA Media Finance, calling “Josephine” an “enthralling, deeply emotional and powerful film that deserves all the acclaim and accolades it has already received from Sundance.”
The commitment includes a major theatrical release and full awards campaign, which suggests Sumerian sees Oscar potential in this Channing Tatum Gemma Chan film. It’s a bold move for a distribution company still building its theatrical slate, which includes the rom-com “Mile End Kicks,” David Verbeek’s “The Wolf, the Fox and the Leopard,” and “Horsegirls” from Lauren Meyering.
Why This Assault Survivor Story Feels Different
Trauma narratives can feel exploitative or overly sentimental. “Josephine” apparently avoids both traps by focusing on the eight-year-old’s experience rather than the assault itself. Tatum and Chan play her parents, navigating their daughter’s psychological aftermath while pursuing justice for the survivor. It’s the kind of flavor-forward emotional storytelling that major cities like New York, London, and Los Angeles typically reserve for their most sophisticated film festivals, according to IndieWire’s festival coverage.
De Araújo developed the material through the Sundance Institute’s directors’ lab, making her tearful Park City premiere a full-circle moment. Named one of Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch for 2026, she’s becoming known for excavating uncomfortable truths with surgical precision and surprising humor in the darkest moments.
“I’m pleased to see that Sumerian has emerged as a new distribution company, made up of people who love films and are committed to inviting audiences into the theaters,” de Araújo said in a statement.
The film debuts internationally at Berlin Film Festival next week, where international buyers will likely spark another competitive bidding situation. For a psychological thriller about childhood trauma to generate this much commercial heat speaks to both the performances and de Araújo’s ability to make difficult subjects feel essential rather than punishing.
FAQ: ‘Josephine’
When will ‘Josephine’ be released in theaters?
Sumerian Pictures hasn’t announced a specific theatrical release date yet, but the company has committed to a major theatrical rollout and awards campaign following the film’s Sundance premiere and upcoming Berlin Film Festival debut.
Is ‘Josephine’ based on a true story?
Writer-director Beth de Araújo describes “Josephine” as autobiographical fiction. While inspired by personal experience, the film blends memory, research, and imagination to create what critics call a universal human story about childhood trauma and family resilience.
Where was ‘Josephine’ filmed?
The film was shot in San Francisco, specifically featuring Golden Gate Park as a central location. De Araújo discovered lead actress Mason Reeves at a San Francisco farmer’s market, keeping the production deeply rooted in the Bay Area.
The Verdict on Sundance’s Most Emotional Acquisition
Few films generate standing ovations before they start and tears after they finish. “Josephine” managed both, suggesting that audiences hungry for emotionally intelligent storytelling with flavor and depth will embrace this challenging work. Whether Sumerian Pictures can translate festival buzz into mainstream box office remains uncertain, but the seven-figure acquisition and awards commitment indicate serious confidence in the Channing Tatum Sundance film‘s commercial and critical potential.
For viewers who appreciate films that trust their intelligence while respecting their emotions, “Josephine” promises the kind of fun-loving catharsis that only comes from watching truly talented artists work at the height of their powers. Keep this title on your radar when awards season conversations heat up later this year.
