Sundance: Steven Spielberg Here To See Jake Paltrow’s ‘Young Ones’ Debut

Isn’t this the week that indie filmmakers take the stage in Park City? Hours after Christopher Nolan came to accept Slamdance’s Founder’s Award, I’m told  Steven Spielberg just sat down at the Eccles Theater for the premiere of Young Ones, the latest film written and directed by Jake Paltrow. I’m told this is Spielberg’s second trip to Sundance, and the first one was to see The Good Night, also directed by Paltrow.

What gives? Spielberg is Paltrow’s godfather and obviously a big fan of the helmer’s work. Young Ones, an acquisition title, is described as a futuristic Western-style tale that takes place in a world with a scarcity of water. A 14-year-old boy is confronted with his primal instincts when he finds out his friendly brother-in-law murdered his father. The film stars Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.