Sundance: Searchlight toning down 'Beasts'

EXCLUSIVE: Fox Searchlight is within active foretells acquire Ben Zeitlin's ''Beasts from the Southern Wild,'' emerging from the swarm of suitors who had been circling the Sundance hit.No deal is within place, and sources caution that other purchasers continue to be within the mix. But multiple people acquainted with the discussions say Searchlight is set on bagging its quarry, the storyplot of the six-year-old girl (Quvenzhan Wallis) who lives inside a southern Delta community close to the planet.WME Global is selling domestic privileges towards the pic, that has seen a ton of great interest are available in since its debut in the Eccles Theatre on Friday. Although the unusual pic has its own detractors, the reception from experts and writers continues to be glowingly positive.The new sony Pictures Classics, Focus Features and also the Weinstein Co. had all been circling the film, which Zeitlin co-authored with Lucy Alibar.Fox Searchlight was an energetic buyer finally year's Sundance, where they bought high-profile acquisition game titles for example ''Another Earth'' and ''Martha Marcy May Marlene.'' Sources think that the distrib will probably close on ''Beasts'' soon.Zeitlin, who two days ago was named among Variety's 10 company directors to look at, is presently without representation, though there's apt to be a company feeding craze following the festival for that youthful director who produced the film via Sundance Labs.''Beasts from the Southern Wild'' will screen on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at various locations. Contact Shaun Sneider at shaun.sneider@variety.com