Daniela Taplin Lundberg thought “Patti Cake$” would be a hit.
Still, the Westporter was surprised by the reception her film got last week at Sundance.
The comedy — about a white female rap star in New Jersey — generated great buzz at the famed film festival; created breakout star status for lead actress Danielle McDonald, and incited a bidding war for distribution rights. Fox Searchlight snagged the prize with a $10.5 million offer, huge by Sundance standards.
Daniela Taplin Lundberg
Taplin Lundberg — who co-produced the film — is a Sundance veteran. She was involved in the Oscar-nominated “The Kids are Alright,” and also produced “Beasts of No Nation” and “Hello, My Name is Doris.”
But this is her first time backing a film through Stay Gold Features, which she founded.
The development of her own production company — named after a classic line from “The Outsiders” — coincided with her move to Westport a year and a half ago.
She and her husband Ted had talked for a while about leaving New York, and finding space for their 3 young kids to grow.
“It all coalesced in a nice way,” she says. “Westport felt like a relaxed, beautiful and slightly unconventional place, which is exactly what we wanted.”
Even if it’s not exactly New Jersey, with those female rap stars and all.
(Hat tip: Tricia Freeman)
