‘Suncoast’ Gets Limited Theatrical Run Ahead of Hulu Debut

Laura Chinn‘s much-anticipated feature directorial debut Suncoast is less than a month away from arriving on Hulu and other Disney platforms internationally. Thanks to Searchlight Pictures, however, the coming-of-age tale will begin its run on the big screen with a limited theatrical release ahead of its streaming debut. Following its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival over the weekend, the film will head to theaters in New York and Los Angeles as well as other select markets including Tampa, Phoenix, Kansas City, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Miami starting on February 2, a full week before it will be widely available to viewers at home.

Billed as a deeply personal and semi-autobiographical project for Chinn, Suncoast centers on the unlikely friendship sparked between a teenager caring for her family and an activist protesting a historical medical case. The teen, played by rising star Nico Parker, is occupied at home alongside her unflinching mother caring for her brother who suffers from a debilitating illness. At the same time, she’s also trying to forge a life for herself in high school by socializing more and making friends. Upon meeting the activist (Woody Harrelson), however, she begins to understand what it means to balance her private and social lives and make the most of whatever time she has left with her brother.

In addition to Harrelson and Parker, the main trio of Suncoast is rounded out by another Oscar-nominated talent in Laura Linney, who plays the teen and her brother’s mom. Ella Anderson, Daniella Taylor, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Matt Walsh, Scott MacArthur, Ariel Martin, and Amarr round out the starry ensemble for Chinn’s first feature. The Warrior actress has been quiet in the industry for a while – her last writing and acting gigs came in 2019 with her series Florida Girls – but with so much acclaimed talent and a story based on her upbringing, she’s ready to burst back onto the scene starting at Sundance.

‘Suncoast’ Joins a Sundance Film Festival Lineup to Die For

Chinn’s film will bow in the U.S. Dramatic competition on Sunday, January 21 where it will face off directly with some of the most anticipated films of the year. Among her competition is Jesse Eisenberg‘s latest A Real Pain in which he co-stars with Kieran Culkin as well as the buzzy Kristen Stewart film Love Me with Steven Yeun. This year boasts an incredible lineup across multiple categories with other highlights including Stewart’s other steamy and highly-anticipated project with Katy O’Brian, Love Lies Bleeding, the loaded Freaky Tales, and Jane Schoenbrun‘s lauded new film I Saw the TV Glow.

Suncoast will hit select theaters on February 2 before arriving home on Hulu in the U.S. on February 9. In the meantime, check out some of the other films we’re most excited about seeing at Sundance this year.