All articles by Jeremy Kay – Page 1488
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DPS buys animation house Mainframe Entertainment
DigitalProduction Studios (DPS), the New Jersey-based 3D animation subsidiary of IDTMedia, has signed a binding letter of intent to acquire a controlling interestin direct-to-video and TV computer animation house Mainframe Entertainment.The move, whichis subject to regulatory approval, is the latest plank in DPS' globalexpansion strategy following the partnership with John ...
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DNA, Searchlight board Fellowes romance
The new joint venture between DNA Films and FoxSearchlight has boarded its first project following an agreement to collaborateon Julian Fellowes' A Way Through The Woods with the UK's Celador Films.The romance will be financed 50:50 by Celador and DNA,with Fox Searchlight handling worldwide distribution.Shooting beganon Sept 8 in and ...
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Hawn, Hopkins, Howard get Hollywood Film Fest honours
Ron Howard, Anthony Hopkinsand Goldie Hawn will receive outstanding achievement awards at the HollywoodFilm Festival's awards gala ceremony on Oct 20.The Lord of The Rings star Orlando Bloom and Scarlett Johansson, whoearned critical acclaim this year for her roles in Lost In Translation and Girl With A Pearl Earring, will ...
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NORTH AMERICA
Focus Features' Lost In Translation enjoyed a strong debut last weekend following rapturous reviews. Sofia Coppola's second film opened 15th on $925,087 for an excellent $40,221 average from just 23 sites. Translation, which left critics infatuated, pairs Bill Murray with the early award season's wunderkind Scarlett Johansson as unlikely partners ...
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Master And Commander chosen as Royal Command Performance
20th Century Fox's naval epic Master And Commander:The Far Side Of The Worlddirected by Peter Weir has been chosen as this year's Royal Command Performanceand will take place in London on Nov 17.The screening will benefit the Cinema and Television BenevolentFund, which supports behind-the-camera professionals in the UK.Based on Patrick ...
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Pie 3 could be sixth international $100m hit for Universal
With 38countries still to open American Pie: The Wedding is in the early stages of itsinternational release and is bearing down on a sixth $100m score for Universalthis year after raising its running total to $64.8m.It grossed $5.1m from 2,046 sites in 11 countries at theweekend, the highlights being strong ...
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BVI scores a rousing $29.7m from Pirates
Pirates Of The Caribbean grossed $29.7m and elevated its internationalrunning total to $238.1m at the weekend, becoming the second release of 2003after The Matrix Reloaded to stayat the top of the charts for the fifth consecutive weekend.In a series of number onebows it took $3.4m from 245 screens in Australia ...
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LXG opens top through Latin America for Fox
A string of number one bowssaw The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (LXG) gross $6.6m from 1,749 screens in 21 markets at the weekend.Fox International'sfantasy-adventure opened top in all its markets (unless otherwise indicated)and produced several strong holdovers to raise the international cumulativetotal to $23.3m.It grossed $1.6m from 489screens in Mexico, ...
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Warner hits in Hong Kong with Turn Left, Turn Right
Warner Bros' firstMandarin local-language co-production Turn Left Turn Right enjoyed a strong Hong Kong bow at the weekend, whenit scored the biggest ever opening for a local production distributed by a USmajor.The romantic comedy openednumber one on an estimated $808,398 (HK$6.3m) from 38 prints overthe mid-autumn festival session, drawing 132,073 ...
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US audiences have a taste for Mexico
The box office bounced back at the weekend as Johnny Depp scoredhis second consecutive number one bow when Columbia's Once Upon A Time InMexico swaggered its way to the top on an estimated $24m.The third and final instalment in Robert Rodriguez' El Mariachi trilogy garnered very good reviews andstars ...
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Pirates eyes $200m weekend haul
A wide Australian opening and strong holdovers elsewhere should propel Pirates Of The Caribbean past the $200m international mark for Buena Vista International (BVI) this upcoming weekend.The number one international title has exploded on to the scene as a late summer juggernaut and distinguished itself with a superb $38.5m haul ...
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Universal's 2 Fast 2 Furious crosses the $100m line in international
2 Fast 2 Furious has become Universal's third international summerrelease to pass $100m through UIP, following The Hulk ($104.3m) and Johnny English ($118.8m).The adrenaline-pumped actionsequel passed the mark on Sept 10 and has grossed $100.3m from 45 territoriesto date.2 Fast 2 Furious began its international release on Jun 5 with ...
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Clifford leaves Disney for job as vp, production at Warner Bros
Jeffrey Clifford has left his post as vice president of productionat Buena Vista to perform the same role for Warner Bros."Jeff is going to be a tremendous addition to our group," WarnerBros production president Jeff Robinov said in a statement."He's a great executive with excellent taste and relationships. Weare really ...
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Mudge wins $1m deal at Toronto in Chrysler Million Dollar Film Fest
Film-maker Andrew Mudge haswon a $1m production deal to develop his feature project The P T JohansenField Guide To North American Monstersas first prize in the 2003 Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival.Mudge beat off more than 700contestants in the competition, which began in January and progressed to amentored short film ...
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Herwitz signs on as consultant to Stern's Endgame
Andrew Herwitz, president ofNew York-based The Film Sales Company, has signed on as independent consultantfor Jim Stern's production and financing outfit Endgame Entertainment.Herwitz will immediatelybegin scouting material for Endgame's development, co-production financing andacquisitions fund, structuring deals and advising on sales strategies."It is refreshing to workwith someone like Jim who has ...
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Jon Fitzgerald creates consulting and services operation for indie film-makers
Festival veteran JonFitzgerald has launched Right Angle Studios, an integrated and technologicallysavvy one-stop shop offering consulting, production and distribution servicesfor independent film-makers.The venture will be linkedto a website offering online resources and links with the aim of providing aguide through the choppy and often overcrowded festival circuit waters."In the first ...
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Hebrew Hammer strikes US theatrical, TV deals
New York-based CowboyPictures has acquired Jonathan Kesselman's "Jewxploitation" comedy TheHebrew Hammer for theatrical releasein select cities in mid-December to coincide with the Hannukkah holiday.The acquisition is relatedto a larger deal in which ContentFilm also sold North American broadcast rightsto Comedy Central, which will air The Hebrew Hammer for two weeks ...
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Plum teams up with Madstone to find new talent
Plum Pictures, the fledglingproduction company founded by Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray and DanielaSoto-Taplin, has teamed up with New York-based integrated entertainment outfitMadstone to uncover talent and projects for the latter's Directors Programme.Plum will relocate toMadstone's corporate offices in Manhattan as part of the move and will work onthe Directors Programme ...
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NORTH AMERICA
With no over-achieving new blockbusters to contend with, it was a good time for the smaller independent films to go out a little wider last weekend. Fox Searchlight's acclaimed teen drama Thirteen expanded by 38 into 108 sites and climbed one place to 21st on $624,611 for $1.9m in its ...
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Final Destination 2 up to $3.1m in Italy for Eagle
New Line's Final Destination 2 raised its Italian running total to $3.1min its fourth weekend after a $252,827 four-day haul.Released through EaglePictures, the film dropped off 50% following a 44% screen count reduction. Ithas already taken 96% of the final gross of the 2000 original.Freddy Vs Jason added $44,492 from ...