Jordan Firstman's Directorial Debut Sells to A24 for $17 Million

A six-studio bidding war at Cannes ended with A24 acquiring 'Club Kid' for $17 million, the debut feature from writer and comedian Jordan Firstman.

A24 won a six-studio bidding war for 'Club Kid' at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
The acquisition price was $17 million, according to reporting by Variety.
Firstman directed 'Club Kid' as his feature debut after building a following as a writer and internet comedian.
Firstman described his earlier career trajectory to Variety using the phrase 'punching bag.'
The deal ranks among the more prominent acquisition stories out of the 2026 Cannes market.

Jordan Firstman's directorial debut “Club Kid” sold to A24 for $17 million after a bidding war involving six competing studios at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, according to Variety.

Firstman, known primarily as a writer and for a run of character-impression videos that circulated widely on social media, made “Club Kid” as his first feature. The acquisition puts him on the A24 roster alongside the studio's established catalog of prestige and arthouse titles.

In an interview with Variety published to coincide with the sale, Firstman described a period earlier in his career during which he felt like a “punching bag.” He did not specify the particular projects or relationships he had in mind when using the phrase.

A24 did not release a distribution timeline or confirm a platform arrangement as of the Variety report. Six studios entered the bidding. One left with the film for $17 million. The others left with their $17 million.