All articles by Jeremy Kay – Page 1383
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Exorcism a demonic success for Screen Gems with $30.5m weekend
Screen Gems/Lakeshore Entertainment's The Exorcism OfEmily Rose frightenedthe life out of the competition over the weekend as it opened top on anestimated $30.2m.Scott Derrickson directedthe $20m project about the trial of a priest accused of negligent homicideduring the exorcism of a college student.Jennifer Carpenter, Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson and Campbell ...
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Civilian Content rebrands as The Works
Publiclylisted UK entertainment outfit Civilian Content has changed its name to TheWorks Media Group, in an effort to reflect the integrated nature of thefinance, production, distribution and sales house.Production andfinance company The Film Consortium has been renamed The Works Production. Thecompany's credits include Pawel Pawlikowski's Toronto 2004 drama My SummerOf ...
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Hollywood studios explore new age of secure digital distribution
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has signed on tothe cutting-edge US networking consortium internet2 as it explores futuremodels for the online delivery of Hollywood content.MPAA chiefs believe the super-fast and secure communications platform- developed by the research and higher education community - could give them avital edge in ...
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Wolf joins Peace Arch as sales chief
Former HBO Films Londonmanaging director Penny Wolf has joined Toronto-based production anddistribution outfit Peace Arch Entertainment Group as executive vice presidentof international sales and marketing.Based in London, Wolf will oversee all feature acquisitions andinternational sales and marketing on the company's film and television slate."We're looking to acquireand produce theatrical projects ...
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Lions Gate, Lakeshore team up for Statham-starrer Crank
Lions Gate Films and LakeshoreEntertainment have begun pre-production on the thriller Crank starring Jason Statham, currently riding high as thestar of the number one North American picture The Transporter 2.Lakeshore is producing theproject, which is set to begin principal photography in Los Angeles in lateOctober. Lions Gate will release in ...
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Focus reshuffles international sales division
Focus Features hasrestructured its international division following the appointment of AlisonThompson as president.In the move announced toScreen by co-presidents David Linde and James Schamus, Heta Paarte becomessenior vice president of international marketing and publicity and Tim Spenceris named senior vice president of international sales.Both executives formerlyheld the roles of vice ...
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Universal takes world rights on HBO's Outkast musical
Universal Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to HBO Films'untitled original musical starring Outkast's Andre Benjamin and Antwan Patton,as well as Terrence Howard, Ving Rhames, Cicely Tyson and Macy Gray, among others.Regular Outkast music video director Bryan Barber makes hisfeature directorial debut on the project, which shot in Wilmington, NorthCarolina, and ...
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BVI hopes for Cinderella story in six key territories
The international crown is up for grabs this weekend as CinderellaMan launches in itsfirst international territories as strong holdover business is expected from Madagscar,The Island and CharlieAnd The Chocolate Factory.Buena Vista International (BVI) holds all rights outside NorthAmerica to Cinderella Man, which has notched up $61.6m in domestic ticket sales ...
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Wellspring grabs Manson murders musical comedy
New York-based Wellspringhas picked up all North American rights to Live Freaky! Die Freaky!, astop-motion animation musical-comedy retelling of the Manson family murders.The action takes place inthe year 3069 when a man discovers a copy of Helter Skelter, VincentBugliosi and Curt Gentry's true crime classic detailing the Charles Manson cultand ...
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Rosenblum named president of all Warner Bros TV operations
Bruce Rosenblum has been named president of the newly formedWarner Bros Television Group (WBTV) and will oversee the studio's entireworldwide television operation including US TV network The WB Network.A 19-year Warner Bros veteran who co-founded the WB Network,Rosenblum will take the lead in expanding the company's production anddistribution portfolio.In addition ...
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Churchill gets inaugural cinematography prize at IDA Awards
Joan Churchill will receive the International DocumentaryAssociation’s (IDA) award for outstanding documentary cinematography atthe 21st IDA Distinguished Documentary Achievement Awards in Los Angeles on Dec9.The inaugural award was set up after IDA top brass decided tohighlight the work of cinematographers, which they feel is routinely overlookedby the public.Over the course ...
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IDP Distribution bolsters ranks with new appointments
IDP Distribution has hired Kristi Avram as vice president ofpublicity and promoted Shani Ankori to vice president of marketing andpromotions, and hired Daniel Feiner as director of finance and administration.Avram will create and oversee all publicity campaigns forIDP, the joint venture between Samuel Goldwyn Films and Roadside Attractionsthat theatrically markets ...
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Chicken Tikka Masala finds US home at TLA
TLA Releasing has picked up North American home entertainment andbroadcast rights to Harmage Singh Kalirai's British comedy Chicken TikkaMasala, and plans a DVDrelease in early 2006.The story centres on a UK-based Indian medical studentwhose parents begin to arrange his marriage to the daughter of a family friend,all the while oblivious ...
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UIP partnership dissolves in key territories
Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures are to set up their owndirect distribution operations in 15 key territories beginning in January 2007,the studios announced jointly on Tuesday.The move comes as part of a long-term agreement that extends andrestructures their UIP international distribution joint venture, originally setup with MGM, and UA in ...
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Hollywood festival lauds Red Wagon duo
The Hollywood Film Festival's Board of Advisors has unveiledits latest line-up of honourees for the upcoming Hollywood Film Awards inOctober in Los Angeles.Red Wagon Entertainment producers Douglas Wick and LucyFisher will receive the Hollywood Producers of the Year Award, screenwriterAkiva Goldsman will collect the Hollywood Screenwriter of the Year Award, ...
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Fox Int'l restructures Scandinavian operations
Fox International is restructuring Scandinavian operationsand has announced two key appointments, naming Hansi Mandoki managing directorof Twentieth Century Fox Theatrical Sweden, and Peter Paumgardhen managingdirector of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Scandinavia.Mandoki will manage all of Fox International's theatricalmarketing, distribution and acquisition activities in Sweden and reportsdirectly to Twentieth Century ...
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IFP launches indie screening week in NYC
IFP is launching the New York-based Independent Film Weekfrom Sept 19-23, a promotional event designed to boost film-going at first-runindependent theatres by offering free concessions and access to filmmakers andtalent.The event kicks off with the New York premiere of Rodrigo Garcia'sNine Lives, whichMagnolia Pictures will release in the US on ...
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Rona to spearhead production at ramped up Rogue
Rogue Pictures has hired former Dimension Filmsco-president Andrew Rona (pictured) as president of production as part of an aggressivebid to increase the filmmaking slate at Universal's genre offshoot.Rona will report directly to Rogue Pictures president David Lindeand will oversee production, acquisitions, marketing and distribution on thegenre division's burgeoning slate, which ...
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Madagascar retakes international lead with $12.5m weekend
A sensational launch in Italypowered DreamWorks International's Madagascar towards $300m over the weekend as the picture added an estimated$12.5m from 47 territories through UIP for $291.5m.The animated hit opened top in Italy on $7.1m including $1.4m frompreviews for 64% market share. This is the biggest CGI animated opening ever inItaly, ...
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Fox, Europa Corp drive US box office with Transporter 2
The action sequel The Transporter 2 roared to the top of the charts overthe Labor Day holiday weekend on an estimated $20.3m over four days.Opening in third place on $10.8m was Focus Features' acclaimedJohn LeCarre adaptation The Constant Gardener, while two movies from the shelf - Underclassmanfrom Miramax and ASound ...