All articles by Jeremy Kay – Page 1467
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FCC commissioner Copps booked in for AFMA breakfast
FederalCommunications Commissioner Michael J Copps will attend an AFMA membersbreakfast to discuss US media consolidation at the Le Merigot Hotel in SantaMonica on Feb 26.Copps is one ofthe FCC's most outspoken opponents of consolidation and launched an impassionedstand during the FCC's 2001-2003 policy review hearings that resulted in looserlaws governing ...
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Polly opens top in Brazil for Universal
Universal's Along Came Polly opened top in Brazil through UIP at the weekend on anestimated $300,000 from 144 sites. The romantic comedy has grossed $8.2m fromAustralia, Brazil, Portugal, Singapore and Thailand and has a further 45countries to open.Focus Features' drama LostIn Translation held fast in Spain in itssecond week for ...
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Fortissimo orders up Super Size Me
Fortissimo Filmshas acquired all international rights to Morgan Spurlock's hit Sundancedocumentary Super Size Me and will represent the picture at next week's AFM."We are thrilledto be working with this creative and talented new director to bring SuperSize Me to the world,"Fortissimo co-chairman Michael J Werner said in a statement."Morgan Spurlockhas ...
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Quinn leaves Goldwyn for Magnolia
Tom Quinn isleaving his post as vice president of acquisitions at Samuel Goldwyn Films tohead up a more aggressive acquisitions effort at Magnolia Pictures.Effectiveimmediately, Quinn will represent the company at the AFM and will beresponsible for the day-to-day responsibilities of acquisitions, workingalongside Jeff Reichert (marketing and publicity) and John McCarron(distribution). ...
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MPAA hails court order blocking DVD copying software from 321
Motion Picture Associationof America (MPAA) chief Jack Valenti has hailed a court order blocking UScompany 321 Studios from making, distributing or selling its DVD-copyingsoftware.The Burbank-based MPAA, aninfluential congressional lobbyist that represents the global interests of theUS majors and other affiliates, sought legal action in keeping with itspro-copyright philosophy.Judge Susan Illston ...
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Translation, Splendor take top screenplay prizes from WGA
Sofia Coppola won best original screenplay for Lost InTranslation and ShariSpringer Berman and Robert Pulcini took adapted honours for AmericanSplendor in the 56thAnnual Writers Guild Awards at the weekend.Saturday's (21) galaceremonies were split between the body's West and East divisions in Los Angelesand New York.Coppola won thebest screenplay Golden Globe ...
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Dates staves off four wide new openers
Despite four new entries in the top 10 none was strong enough tochallenge Columbia's 50 First Dates, which held on to number one in its second week on $21m for a$72.3m running total.Buena Vista's Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen opened a distant second but performedroughly as executives predicted on ...
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Lightning acquires teen horror Dead Scared
LosAngeles-based sales and distribution outfit Lightning Entertainment hasacquired international rights to Honey Creek Pictures' first feature production,the teen horror picture Dead Scared.Dead Scared will get a world premiere screening atthe AFM and centres on five college children trapped in a haunted mansion whoeach become possessed by a demonic spirit.It stars ...
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Stanton to get ShoWest award for animation director
Finding Nemo director Andrew Stanton has been named ShoWest 2004Animation Director of the Year and will collect his honour during the event,which runs in Las Vegas from Mar 22-25."To think that Nemo, Marlinand Dory were first introduced to the industry at ShoWest 2003 when Disney andPixar screened Finding Nemo isvery ...
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Countdown to $1bn: King is now number two
The Lord OfThe Rings: The Return Of The King has overtaken Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone to become the second highest worldwidegrossing picture of all time behind Titanic.Figuresyesterday (Wednesday) from New Line International (NLI) put Peter Jackson'strilogy finale on $981.9m. This comprises $624.2m in international and $357.7min domestic ticket ...
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HBO Films starts shooting Rwanda drama in Rwanda
Production isunderway in Rwanda on HBO Films' ...Sometimes In April, which stars Debra Winger as a USofficial during the Rwandan genocide of the mid-1990s.The US-Frenchco-production between HBO Films and Cinefacto is being directed by Raoul Peck (Lumumba), who also wrote the screenplay andserves as co-executive producer along with Joel Stillerman. ...
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Mountain set for four major openings including Germany, Mexico
Milestones will be reached this weekend in the internationalmarkets as The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King will pass $1bn in worldwide ticketsales, while The Last Samurai is expected to slice through $300m in international and Something'sGotta Give should racepast $50m.New Line International's The Return Of The ...
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King is king in Japan with $11.1m two-day take
The Lord OfThe Rings: The Return Of The King opened top in Japan at the weekend on $11.1m from 729 screens, asthe picture grossed $21.7m from 4,128 screens in 60 markets to boost itsinternational running total to $618.4m.Including lastweekend's previews New Line International's fantasy finale grossed $14.7m inJapan through Nippon ...
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Warner Germany ties up X for a further 20 films
Warner Bros Pictures Germanyhas extended its partnership with Germany's X-Filme and its distribution armX-Verleih in a long-term, multi-faceted distribution agreement covering up to20 films.
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Cheaper makes Fox richer with $3.3m opening in UK
FoxInternational's comedy Cheaper By The Dozen opened top in the UK at the weekend on$3.3m (including previews) from 364 screens.The picture alsoopened in Korea on $204,000 from 70. Overall it added $4.5m from 1,137 screensto raise its international running total to $19.2m.The comedy StuckOn You opened top inAustralia on $1.2m ...
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Major, Bumstead pick up honours from ADG
Grant Major wonthe Art Directors' Guild Excellence in Production Design and Art Directionaward for a period or fantasy film for The Lord Of The Rings: The Return OfThe King at the weekend.Henry Bumsteadpicked up the contemporary film trophy for his work on Mystic River.Among otherhonorees at the ceremony at the ...
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Disney buys the rights to Muppets from Henson Co
The Walt DisneyCo said yesterday (Feb 17) it had agreed to buy the characters from The Muppets andBear In The Big Blue House from the Jim Henson Co.Disney isexpected to relaunch the characters, which include Kermit The Frog and MissPiggy, through a new television series and special shows.The media gianthas ...
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Law is male star of the year at ShoWest
Jude Law has been named ShoWest2004 Male Star of the Year and will receive his accolade at the exhibitors'conference, which runs in Las Vegas from Mar 22-25."In this day andage it's quite a compliment to note that there is no such thing as a typicalJude Law character or role, as ...
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Warner Germany ties up X for a further 20 films
Warner BrosPictures Germany has extended its partnership with Germany's X-Filme andits distribution arm X-Verleih in a long-term, multi-faceted distribution agreementcovering up to 20 films.The relationshipbegan in 2001 with the release of Connie Walter's romance Wie Feuer UndFlamme and has continued through to the recent successful theatrical, DVD andVHS distribution of ...
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Showcase takes on Puerto Vallarta Squeeze for AFM
ShowcaseEntertainment will be representing the thriller Puerto Vallarta Squeeze starring Scott Glenn and Harvey Keitelat the upcoming AFM, which kicks off in Santa Monica on Feb 25 and runs untilMar 3.Based on thenovel by Robert Waller (The Bridges Of Madison County) with a screenplay by the award-winningtelevision writer Richard Alfieri, ...