All articles by Jeremy Kay – Page 1384
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NBC Universal keeps mum on DreamWorks acquisition report
Studio sources have declined to comment on yesterday's report thatNBC Universal is in talks to acquire live-action unit DreamWorks SKG.According to the New York Post the studios were in the earlystages of talks but a deal was not imminent.DreamWorks SKG issued a statement in which it said any commentsabout a ...
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US studios, exhibitors united on digital cinema standard
Hollywood'svision for a brave new world took a step closer to reality yesterday as leadingstudio and exhibition representatives unveiled an industry standard governingdigital cinema rollout.The move comesmore than three years after studios and exhibitors formed the Digital CinemasInitiative (DCI), the umbrella group charged with devising a set of unanimoussystem requirements ...
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Stein named senior vp for Dimension at The Weinstein Co
Matthew Stein has been named senior vice president of productionfor Dimension Films at The Weinstein Company.Stein will continue to work at Miramax in his current position asvice president of production for Dimension until Sept 30, after which time hewill assume his new full-time role at The Weinstein Company.Based in New ...
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Madagascar wins international weekend with $24.6m take
At the final reckoning, DreamWorks' Madagascar did in fact rule the roost at the weekendinternational box office second consecutive weekend, as revised results fromUIP reveal it grossed an estimated $24.6m.The animated family title, which currently stands at more than$190m, was far ahead of Fox International's Fantastic Four which took $20.3m ...
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Rittman promoted to vice president for Asia-Pacific at MPAA
Frank S Rittmanhas been named vice president, regional legal counsel, Asia-Pacific and deputyregional director, Asia-Pacific, at the Motion Picture Association of America(MPAA).Rittman will serve as the MPAA's regional spokesman on legalissues and will manage legal aspects of the organisation's regional operations,encompassing free trade agreements, "fair use" legislation, and anti-piracy andcommercial ...
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Six composers line up for Sundance Composers Lab this week
The Sundance Institute has announced the six musicians chosen forthe 8th Annual Sundance Institute Composers Lab, which runs from Jul 26-Aug 11.This year's Composers Lab Fellows are Don Byron, Barbara Cohen,Marco d'Ambrosio, Andrea Kapsalis, Ljova (Lev Zhurbin), and Gyan Riley.Over the course of the intensive two-week lab Fellows willparticipate in ...
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Misher signs first-look deal with Paramount
Paramount Pictures hasbrought Kevin Misher, the producer of The Interpreter and The Scorpion King, into the fold with a three-year first look deal. Misher Films executivesPatrick Baker and Andrew Berman will join Misher at Paramount; the termcommences once Misher's deal with Universal Pictures expires. Titles in developmentinclude an adaptation of ...
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Gay Sex doc gets US deals with Wolfe, Sundance
Joe Lovett has signed a raftof distribution deals for his documentary Gay Sex In The 70's, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festivalearlier this year.The picture will open intheatres on Nov 4 through, followed by DVD/video release through Wolfe Video in2006 and a television premiere on the Sundance Channel in ...
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Foster to direct Sugar Kings for Universal, Tribeca
Jodie Foster will direct and may star in the class action drama SugarKings for UniversalPictures and Tribeca Films.Based on a screenplay by Ned Zeman and Daniel Barnz, SugarKings is based on MarieBrenner's Vanity Fair article "In The Kingdom Of Big Sugar", about a law schoolgraduate and veteran public interest attorney ...
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McInnis programmes Palm Springs short film festival
Kathleen McInnis has been named director of short film programmingat this year's 11th Annual Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films& Short Film Market.The festival and market screens approximately 350 films from more than40 countries each year, and this year organisers are reporting a record 2,400submissions to date, up 10% ...
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MPAA's Glickman welcomes new US anti-piracy czar
MPAA chief Dan Glickman has welcomed the announcement thatPresident Bush has created a new anti-piracy czar as the high-profile waragainst counterfeit films continues."I heartily applaud the President for today's action andappreciate the Administration's commitment to fighting and winning the battleagainst intellectual property theft," Glickman said in a statement."Our industry alone ...
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Battsek finally confirmed as new Miramax president
Daniel Battsek was finallyconfirmed as the new president of Miramax Films today, ending speculation overone of the industry's most widely known open secrets of the year.Battsek, the highlyrespected executive vice president and managing director of distribution andproduction at BVI UK, will be based in New York and reports directly to ...
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Story of Canadian killers gets world premiere at Montreal
The world premiere of Karla, Joel Bender's true-life account of Canada's mostinfamous criminal couple, will take place at the Montreal World Film Festivalnext month.The story of Karla Homolkaand Paul Bernardo, who were arrested in 1993 following the kidnapping, rape andmurder of two young girls, will play in special screening on ...
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Philadelphia's TLA expands, outlines UK distribution venture
TLA Releasing is expanding operations and its staff roster, withJohn Rayser coming aboard as managing director and Andrew Chang joining asbooking agent.Rayser will oversee the company's sales team and operations and ischarged with expanding the customer base.He most recently served as regional sales manager of MGM HomeEntertainment.Executive director of sales ...
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When I'm 64, Sevigne win top prizes at Philadelphia lesbian and gay fest
The 18th Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festivalclosed with its annual awards ceremony, which saw best feature (gay male) go toJon Jones' When I'm 64and best feature (lesbian) awarded to Marta Balletbo-Coll's Sevigne.Best documentary went to Nicole Conn's Little Man, best short (gay male) went to ArmenKazazian's Gold, andbest ...
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Audiences prefer the Factory to The Island
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory stayed top and passed $100m in itssecond weekend at the North American box office over the weekend, butDreamWorks' The Islandflopped in fourth place and overall box office fell back into its familiarslump.The Warner Bros champion added an estimated $28.3m for a $114.1mrunning total, while New ...
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Charlie remains victorious, but The Island disappoints
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory stayed top and passed $100m in itssecond weekend at the North American box office over the weekend, butDreamWorks' The Islandflopped in fourth place and overall box office fell back into its familiarslump.The Warner Bros champion added an estimated $28.3m for a $114.1mrunning total, while New ...
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Four, Madagascar vie for international crown
Fox International's Fantastic Four added an estimated $22.9m over theweekend for a $78.4m running total and a possible top international spot.However the weekend champion may still be DreamWorks' Madagascar, which added more than $20.3m, a resultthat will swell once full weekend results are confirmed.Key drivers for Fantastic Four were the ...
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IMAX and Warner Bros team up for 2006's Ant Bully
IMAX Corporation, Warner Bros, Playtone Productions and DNAProductions are teaming up on the simultaneous conventional 2D and IMAX 3Drelease of the animated picture The Ant Bully on Aug 4 2006.The picture is being directed by Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius director John A Davis and tells the taleof a young boy ...
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Focus unveils debut animated feature - 9
Focus Features has unveiledfirst animated picture - 9, whichis being directed by Shane Acker and produced by Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov,Jim Lemley and Dana Ginsburg.Focus will finance thefeature and holds worldwide rights to the story, which is set in a postapocalyptic parallel universe where humanity faces extinction.The project is an ...