Olivia Wilde’s bold Sundance turn sparks buzz as Gregg Araki’s provocative thriller “I Want Your Sex” sells to Magnolia after a hot bidding war.
Olivia Wilde is no stranger to conversation-starting projects, and her latest film is keeping that streak alive.
I Want Your Sex, the boundary-pushing thriller from cult filmmaker Gregg Araki, has officially landed U.S. distribution with Magnolia Pictures following a splashy debut at the Sundance Film Festival.
The film, which quickly became one of the most talked-about titles in Park City, pairs Wilde with Cooper Hoffman in a daring story about power, art, and desire. Wilde plays a famed provocateur artist who pulls her inexperienced gallery assistant (Hoffman) into an intense sadomasochistic relationship.
Equal parts erotic thriller and camp provocation, the movie leans hard into Araki’s signature style—bold, messy, and intentionally confrontational.
Sources familiar with the deal say Magnolia secured the film for a seven-figure sum after a competitive bidding war. While release plans haven’t yet been announced, Magnolia executives are clearly eager to bring the project to theaters.
In a joint statement, co-CEOs Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley called the film “a wild romp” and praised it as a celebration of why audiences still love going to the movies, adding that the company is thrilled to give Araki his widest theatrical release to date.
For Araki, the sale marks another milestone in a long relationship with Sundance. I Want Your Sex is his 11th feature to premiere at the festival, following earlier cult favorites like Mysterious Skin and The Doom Generation. The director co-wrote the screenplay with writer Karley Sciortino and produced the film alongside Seth Caplan, Teddy Schwarzman, Michael Heimler, Courtney L. Cunniff, and Sciortino.
Black Bear produced and financed the project and is handling international sales.
“I am over the moon,” Araki said in a statement, praising Magnolia’s enthusiasm and calling the film a “pure labor of love.” He added that he’s excited for audiences to see it, react to it, and talk about it—something Sundance viewers were already doing in abundance.
At the Park City premiere, Wilde spoke warmly about working with Araki, saying she wished more filmmakers embraced his instinctive, passion-first approach. She described the project as refreshingly free of corporate pressure and driven by creative trust.
For Wilde, the role offered a chance to fully lean into performance, play with camp, and push boundaries without apology.
Notably, Wilde had a second reason to celebrate at Sundance this year. Her other festival title, The Invite—a sexually charged comedy she directed and stars in alongside Seth Rogen, Edward Norton, and Penelope Cruz—was snapped up by A24 for more than $12 million after an all-night bidding war.
While Sundance sales have been slower overall, I Want Your Sex joins a small group of festival films to secure distributors, alongside Neon’s acquisition of Leviticus and Sony Pictures Classics’ pickup of Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! Other high-profile titles remain unsold but heavily buzzed.
Critics have been divided on Araki’s latest. Variety chief critic Peter Debruge offered a mixed review but singled out Wilde’s “pure-camp performance,” noting that the film works best as irreverent escapism rather than a message movie.
And for fans of Araki—or viewers ready for something unapologetically provocative—that may be exactly the point.
