Netflix Swoops in Pre-Sundance and Wins Popularity Contest for High School Rom-Com Sierra Burgess Is A Loser

• Netflix acquires Sierra Burgess Is A Loser, a feature film from Black Label Media (BLM)

• Directed by Ian Samuels and written by Lindsay Beer, the film stars Shannon Purser (Stranger Things), RJ Cyler (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), Kristine Froseth (Let The Right One In (TV), Rebel in the Rye), Noah Centineo (The Fosters), Chrissy Metz (This is Us), Alan Ruck (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Spin City) and Lea Thompson (Switched at Birth, Back to the Future trilogy)

• The film is a modern rom-com retelling of the Cyrano de Bergerac story set in high school

• The story centers on Sierra (Purser), an intelligent teen who does not fall into the shallow definition of high school pretty but, in a case of mistaken identity that results in unexpected romance, must team with the popular girl (Froseth) in order to win her crush.

• BLM produced and fully financed the film with Black Label’s Molly Smith, Rachel Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill serving as producers

• WME brokered the deal

• Samuels is repped by CAA

About Black Label Media

Black Label Media (BLM) was formed in 2013 by partners Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill to finance and produce bold films with commercial appeal. Credits include three-time Oscar-nominated “Sicario” (directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, and Josh Brolin), “Demolition” (directed by Jean Marc Vallée, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts), “71” (directed by Yann Demange, starring Jack O’Connell), “The Good Lie” (directed by Philippe Falardeau, starring Reese Witherspoon), and “Rebel in the Rye” (directed by Danny Strong, starring Nicholas Hoult). BLM also acquired an interest in “Begin Again” (written/directed by John Carney, starring Kiera Knightley and Mark Ruffalo). Black Label also co-financed and Executive Produced the Academy Award-winning “La La Land” with Lionsgate.

Sony recently released “Only the Brave,” directed by Joseph Kosinski and starring Josh Brolin and Miles Teller. “12 Strong” will be released this Friday through Warner Brothers. The film, directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, was produced with Jerry Bruckheimer, and stars Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon and Michael Peña. Sony is set to release “Sicario 2: Soldado” this June, which stars Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin.