All Screen articles in 21 March 2003

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  • News

    Nakata's Don't Look Up in remake deal

    2003-03-21T04:06:00Z

    South Africa-based Distant Horizon has picked up remake rights to Don't Look Up (Joyuu-Rei), a Japanese horror story originally made by Ringu-director Hideo Nakata. Distant Horizon CEO, Anant Singh told Screendaily that a number of Hollywood studios have indicated an interest in the remake and that a top horror screenwriter ...

  • News

    TPS to increase local production investment

    2003-03-21T04:05:00Z

    French satellite platform TPS is to increase its investment in local low- to medium-budget films.As stipulated by French broadcast authority, the CSA, TPS will continue to invest Euros 2.01 per subscriber per month in buying and pre-buying French films.TPS also contributes to 'cinematic diversity' by spending 15% of its investments ...

  • News

    Rising Danish star takes on Norwegian thriller

    2003-03-21T04:05:00Z

    Hot Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen is to star in Erich Hortnagl's Norwegian psychological thriller A Cry In The Woods (Den som frykter ulven). Mikkelsen will play a Danish police detective investigating a horrific murder in a small Norwegian town, which turns out to have a personal significance to him. Mikkelsen ...

  • News

    Italian cinemas fear summer drought

    2003-03-21T04:05:00Z

    Walter Vacchino, head of Italy's association of exhibitors, has voiced concern about the upcoming summer film season in Italy."We are pleased that distributors are planning to release several Italian films during the summer - but we're very worried about the overall situation after examining distributors' upcoming slates, particularly for the ...

  • News

    Barrandov to build new stage - even without investor

    2003-03-21T04:05:00Z

    Barrandov Studios plans to go ahead with a new 4,000 square meter stage for its Prague film complex, despite the news that owner Moravia Steel is no longer seeking an investor.The announcement of the cancelled sale sparked concern in the local film industry, but it's business as usual at Barrandov, ...

  • News

    Spain's DeA Planeta announces string of pick-ups

    2003-03-21T04:05:00Z

    Spain's DeA Planeta has announced a string of high-profile pick-ups including Ingmar Bergman's Saraband and Tod Williams' Door In The Floor.The company - the joint media venture of Spanish and Italian publishing giants Grupo Planeta and De Agostini - has taken all rights in Spain from Svensk Filmindustri to Bergman's ...

  • News

    Alfonso Cuaron's production company unveils new titles

    2003-03-21T04:05:00Z

    Anhelo, the film production company forged by Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron and partner Jorge Vergara, has unveiled three international projects in the pipeline. Cuaron and Vergara initially launched Anhelo to produce the Cuaron-directed international hit Y Tu Mama Tambien which is currently in the running for a best screenplay Oscar. ...

  • News

    Cannes Marche points to online registration for advanced numbers

    2003-03-21T04:00:00Z

    Registration for theupcoming 44th Marche Du Film (May 14-24) is up 55% compared to the same periodlast year, following the installation of a new online registration service.Set up at the behest ofexecutive director Jerome Paillard, the facility is, claims Paillard, the firstof its kind in the entertainment industry. It appeared ...

  • Reviews

    Willard

    2003-03-21T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Glen Morgan. US. 2003. 100minsEverybody has heard of Cinderella. She befriended the mice that lived in her attic bedroom and made them cute little outfits to wear. In return, they sang and danced and kept her company. Now comes Willard, who pals around with the rats that live in ...

  • Reviews

    Agent Cody Banks

    2003-03-21T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Harald Zwart. US. 2003. 102mins.Teen heartthrob Frankie Muniz becomes a teen 007 in Agent Cody Banks, an energetic but overly cute and calculated junior spy adventure from Bond studio MGM and German-owned independent Splendid Pictures. Interest from teen and pre-teen audiences - in Muniz and in his co-star Hilary ...

  • News

    Triple whammy as Gangs, Ring and 8 Mile pass the $100m mark

    2003-03-21T00:00:00Z

    Three films crossed the much sought after $100m international box office mark this week, led by Oscar contender Gangs Of New York.Martin Scorsese's historical epic tipped over the mark to record a total international cumulative gross of $103.5m. Continued strong runs in Spain and Germany scored the bulk of the ...

  • News

    Endgame Entertainment launches production and financing outfit

    2003-03-20T04:05:00Z

    James Stern, the Tony Award-winning producer of stage hits The Producers and Stomp, has announced the formation of production and financing house Endgame Entertainment.The company comprises development and production division Endgame Productions and The Endgame Fund, a financing source for third party producers and distributors covering a range of ...

  • News

    US studio costs far outstripping revenues

    2003-03-20T04:05:00Z

    Jack Valenti's annual 'state of the union' speech at ShoWest earlier this month was notable for what it did not quite say, as much as what was explicitly uttered by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) president.Valenti pointed to the high and rising production costs (negative cost) incurred by the seven ...

  • News

    Italy close to signing major production/distribution deal with India

    2003-03-20T04:05:00Z

    Italy is close to signing a landmark co-production and co-distribution agreement with India, which is also expected to encourage Indian crews to shoot movies in Italy. The deal is one of the latest initiatives spearheaded by new Italian state Film Department chief, Gianni Profita."We are collaborating with Indian Film Commissions ...

  • News

    Ten films line up to compete at the Festival of European Cinema

    2003-03-20T04:05:00Z

    Moonlight, the new English-language film from current Oscar nominee Paula van der Oest, will be among the titles screening in the official competition of the 4th Festival of European Cinema in Lecce, which runs from April 7th-12th. Sold by Gary Hamilton's Arclight Films, Moonlight is a romantic thriller about 13 ...

  • News

    Location Prague attracts two new US productions

    2003-03-20T04:05:00Z

    Two US studio films, Brothers Grimm and First Daughter are close to confirming a shoot in the Czech Republic, joining a spate of other planned location shoots, according to sources in Prague. MGM and Miramax are expected to give the go-ahead to Terry Gilliam's Brothers Grimm for a Prague ...

  • News

    Argentina unveils multiple audio-visual initiatives

    2003-03-20T04:05:00Z

    Argentina has signed a series of agreements with its Latin American neighbours and Spain's autonomous regional governments as part of a drive to boost the production and distribution of Spanish and Portuguese-language films. As part of the first protocol, signed at last week's Mar del Plata International Film Festival, countries ...

  • News

    MAC, Samy Boy take North American rights on Prey For Rock And Roll

    2003-03-20T04:05:00Z

    Independent distributor MAC Releasing in association with Samy Boy Films has acquired all North American rights to Prey For Rock And Roll, which received its world premiere at Sundance.The picture stars Gina Gershon as the singer of an all-girl punk band and is based on rock star Cheri Lovedog's autobiographical ...

  • News

    UIP appeals against Ned Kelly classification

    2003-03-20T04:05:00Z

    UIP has lodged an appeal against the MA 15+ rating given to Ned Kelly by Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification.UIP is hoping the Classification Review Board will decide on Friday to grant it a less restrictive rating. MA 15+ means that people who are less than 15 ...

  • News

    Advanced Medien calls AGM to report new losses

    2003-03-20T04:05:00Z

    Beleaguered German rights trader Advanced Medien is to call an annual general meeting after preparations for its 2002 financial report showed that the company incurred a loss amounting to at least half of its capital stock.According to Advanced, the loss is "primarily due to the valuation allowance for loans to ...