“Twinless,” a comedic drama starring Dylan O’Brien, has been pulled from Sundance’s streaming site after sex scenes and other content from the film leaked online. The leaks came as “Twinless” won the festival’s coveted Audience Award on Friday.
It’s the second movie to be pulled from Sundance’s site this year. “Selena y Los Dinos,” a documentary about Tejano singer Selena, was also scrubbed from the service after the film “suffered a series of copyright infringements,” meaning it also leaked online. There were reports that fans were putting various musical numbers from “Selena y Los Dinos” on TikTok and Instagram.
“The film ‘Twinless’ was a victim of some copyright infringement on various social media platforms, therefore the festival in partnership with the filmmakers have made the decision to remove the film from the Sundance Film Festival online platform. We regret that online ticket holders will no longer be able to access the film,’” a Sundance spokesperson said in a statement. Vouchers will be provided to “Twinless” ticketholders to screen other films in the program.
“We acknowledge and regret the disappointment this may cause. However, part of our commitment to advocating for independent filmmakers is ensuring that they can protect the art that they have created — now and in the future,” the statement continued. Sundance also said it would cooperate with local, state and federal law enforcement on all piracy-related issues.
One insider familiar with “Twinless” said the film was not pulled specifically over the steamy O’Brien scenes, but rather numerous plot reveals that spoil the movie, which is still seeking a distributor out of the festival. Director James Sweeney seemed to take the incident in stride on Friday when accepting his award, saying at least audiences seemed to enjoy the pirated material. Most of these clips have been flagged or removed, the source added.
On social media, festival attendees vented about the inability to see both “Twinless” and “Selena y Los Dinos” digitally. Sundance started its streaming service when it was forced to go remote during COVID, but the service has been so popular it has remained after the pandemic faded. Sales agents haven’t always been fans. They worry about leaks and also prefer to have potential buyers watch their films in crowded theaters where audience excitement can bolster the price of a movie. Films with theatrical releases have increasingly seen fan piracy become the norm, though some industry players think the enthusiasm ultimately helps the bottom line.
Two individuals familiar with both leaked films noted that passionate fan bases — ones behind Selena and O’Brien — were driving the dissemination of the clips. The festival has pulled off hundreds of digital screenings in recent years with advanced security and watermark technology with no issues.
“Twinless,” which tells the story of two friends who meet in a support group for people who lost a twin, was one of the best received films at Sundance. O’Brien, of “Maze Runner” and “Teen Wolf” fame, was praised by critics for playing twin brothers, while Sweeney, who pulled off triple duty on “Twinless,” writing and directing the film in addition to starring, earned rave reviews for his twisty vision. Variety’s Peter Debruge called the film “disarmingly funny.” In his review, he wrote that “it’s a tonal tightwire act, to say the least, as Sweeney balances unconscionable behavior with an earnest look at bereavement, anxiety and anger management.”
Aisling Franciosi, Lauren Graham, Tasha Smith, Chris Perfetti, François Arnaud, Susan Park and Cree Cicchino round out the cast. Republic Pictures is representing the film for sales.
