All articles by Jeremy Kay – Page 1457
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Markoe promoted to post-production executive vp at MGM
MGM Pictures has promoted BruceMarkoe to executive vice president of feature post production, where he willoversee all aspects of budgeting and post production and source economical newfilm-making technologies.Markoe will report directlyto Andy Davis, the studio's executive vice president of physical production."Bruce has become a vitalpart of MGM since he joined ...
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Thunderbirds are go at Tribeca Film Festival
Organisers behind the thirdannual Tribeca Film Festival have confirmed that Working Titles' live-actionversion of Thunderbirds willreceive its world premiere at the New York City event in May.A spokesperson for thepicture's US distributor Universal Pictures neither confirmed nor denied thepremiere status, adding that it was conceivable there may be a public ...
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Friedlander leaves Fine Line for Warner Independent
Steven Friedlander hasjoined the fledgling specialty distributor Warner Independent Pictures (WIP) asexecutive vice president of distribution.Friedlander will directlyhandle domestic theatrical distribution and will shepherd the pictures as theymove into other media through Warner Bros Entertainment's divisions, includinginternational, home video and television."Steven is not only abrilliant theatrical distribution executive but also ...
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BVI's Brother Bear tops $100m, opens second in Japan
Buena Vista International's animated hit Brother Bear passed $100m at the weekend thanks to a$6.2m haul that raised the picture's international running total to $103.3m.Key drivers were Italy, where the picture stayed top for thesecond weekend in a row on $2.2m for $5.4m, and Japan, where it opened secondon $1.9m ...
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Mona Lisa Smile is top in UK, brings total to $64.7m for CTFDI
Sony/Revolution's drama Mona Lisa Smile opened number one in the UK at the weekend through ColumbiaTriStar Film Distributors International (CTFDI), grossing $2.3m on 414 screens.Overall the picture took $3m toraise its industry-wide running total to $64.7m.In other runningtotals, the horror picture Gothika added $4.9m for $37.5m, drama Big Fish added ...
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Something's Gotta Give crosses $100m for Warner
The romantic comedy Something's Gotta Give passed $100m at the international boxoffice at the weekend as it raised its total by an estimated $6.6m to $101.6mfor Warner Bros Pictures International.Figures released by thedistributor reveal the picture has taken a total of $72.6m in Europe, $19.4m inthe Asia-Pacific region and $9.6m ...
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Polly takes $11m for top international title over weekend
Spurred by top berths in Italy, France and Spain at the weekend,Universal's romantic comedy Along Came Polly added an estimated $11m through UIP fora $39m international running total.Pollyopened top in Italy ahead of five local language releases on $1.6m from 225sites and opened on the same amount in France from ...
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Dash directs State Property II for Lions Gate
Production has begun in New York on Dash Films/ROC Films' StateProperty II, the sequelto Abdul Malik Abbott's crime drama about an ambitious group of gangsters thatwas released by Lions Gate in 2002.Damon Dash will direct based on a screenplay by Adam Moreno, withwhom he collaborated on last year's hip-hop satire ...
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Universal's international marketing structure takes shape
Universal Pictures vice president of international distributionJack Ledwith is taking on the added role of managing director of Los Angelesoperations as the studio restructures its international theatrical marketingand distribution business to coordinate London and Los Angeles operations.Ledwith, who has been with the studio since 1996, will be the mostsenior member ...
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Secret Window opens with $19m, but can't touch The Passion juggernaut
The Passion Of The Christ passed the quarter-billion dollar mark at the weekend as itstayed top on an estimated $31.7m for $264m after 19 days.The picture is predicted to fare better than was thought possiblea week ago, with US distributor Newmarket Films' head of distribution RobSchwartz reportedly foreseeing a $350m-$400m ...
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Focus celebrates $100m with Lost In Translation
Focus Features' Lostin Translation, which wonwriter-director Sofia Coppola a best original screenplay Oscar, has passed$100m in worldwide ticket sales.The picture hasgrossed $44.2m at the domestic box office from a 26-week run and taken morethan $56m internationally.Theinternational total is certain to increase considerably when Lost InTranslation opens inJapan, where the story ...
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Art Port, Peacock acquire rights to Marilyn doc
Maine-basedValhalla Productions has sold theatrical, home video/DVD and television rightsto the documentary Marilyn's Man to Art Port in Japan and television and video/DVD rights toPeacock Films in Australia and New Zealand.Bothacquisitions were made at AFM and facilitated by independent films distributorITN Distribution.Written,directed and produced by Valhalla Productions owner Schani Krug, ...
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Polly comes along in France, Spain and Italy
A strongJapanese bow this upcoming weekend should be enough to push Buena VistaInternational's (BVI) animated hit Brother Bear past $100m in international ticketsales.The picture hasamassed $95.8m and executives will be hoping for a strong bow in Japan, whichcan be a highly accommodating animation market as evidence by Finding Nemo's number ...
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Avi Arad to receive Showmanship award at ShoWest
Marvel Studioschief Avi Arad will receive the inaugural Robert W Selig Showmanship Award forAchievement in Film-making at the ShoWest opening day luncheon hosted by LionsGate Films and display technology company Christie in Las Vegas on Mar 23.Lions Gate willscreen its comic book adaptation The Punisher, which Arad produced with Gale ...
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Universal postpones Cinderella Man release to March 2005
Universal Pictures has postponed until Mar 18 2005 the release of Ron Howard's Depression-era boxingdrama The Cinderella Man starringRussell Crowe and Renee Zellweger.The picture, which is beingco-financed with Miramax Films, was set to be one of Universal's key awardspictures with an end of year domestic release planned.The delay follows from ...
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Cinecitta teams with Rome Film Commission to attract production
Seeking to provide international film-makers with a comprehensiveand competitive production package, Cinecitta Studios has partnered with Rome'sFilm Commission to offer financial and location services.The commission officially set up shop within the studio compoundin February and will provide assistance with gap financing, free andreduced-fee shooting permits and other services.A crucial component ...
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Hackford's Ray Charles biopic goes to Universal
Universal Pictures hasacquired worldwide distribution rights to the musical biopic Unchain MyHeart: The Ray Charles Storystarring Jamie Foxx and has scheduled an Oct 29 domestic release.Produced and financed byPhilip Anschutz's Crusader Entertainment, Unchain My Heart: The Ray CharlesStory charts the legendary singer'slife from the time he went blind as a ...
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Wellspring gets US on Seducing Doctor Lewis
US distributor Wellspringhas picked up all US rights to Jean-Francois Pouliot's Canadian hit SeducingDoctor Lewis (La Grande Seduction), which won the World Cinema Audience Award atSundance 2004.Wellspring's head ofacquisitions Marie Therese Guirgis negotiated the deal with Matt Littin ofCinetic Media, who represented producers Roger Frappier and Luc Vandal of MaxFilms.The ...
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Sundance Channel acquires four Sundance Film Fest docs
The SundanceChannel has acquired the US pay television rights to four documentary filmsthat premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January.The fourpictures are Jorgen Leth and Lars Von Trier's film-making exercise The FiveObstructions; RuthieShatz and Adi Barash's Israeli prostitution story Garden; Jean Michel Roux's Icelandicsupernature picture Investigation Into The Invisible ...
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Dafoe to head jury at Bermuda Film Festival
Willem Dafoe will head upthe jury panel at the Bermuda International Film Festival (BIFF) later thismonth alongside screenwriters Carlos Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien) and Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, 21 Grams).Also joining Dafoe will befilm makers Patricia Flynn (Discovering Dominga) and Helen Lee (Sophie), as well as Shane Smith of ...