Helen Hunt is back in Sundance hit 'The Surrogate'

The 2012 comeback queen could very well be Helen Hunt, who returns to the big screen in "The Surrogate" after several years of flying under the radar. The film received rave reviews thanks to John Hawkes' star turn as a man confined to an iron lung after contracting polio and Hunt's portrayal as his sex surrogate/therapist.

Aside from receiving some of the festival's biggest buzz, it also got the biggest payday. Reuters confirms that the drama was purchased by Fox Searchlight for $6 million dollars, the largest amount of the 2012 festival so far.

"The Surrogate" is based on the true story of poet and journalist Mark O'Brien, and also stars William H. Macy as a priest who counsels Hawkes' character.

Hunt appeared in 2011's well-received "Soul Surfer," but look for a huge career resurgence in 2012. Aside from "The Surrogate," she's got three other films in various stages of production, including "Serpent Girl," "Relative Insanity" and "Decoding Annie Parker."