Small MPU – Page 2082

  • News

    Khan Kluay becomes Thailand's top animated film

    2006-06-05T14:55:00Z

    Thailand's first3D animated feature Khan Kluay has emerged as thecountry's biggest animation of all time, grossing $1.96m (75m baht) on 60screens in Bangkok alone in less than three weeks of release. The $5m surprisehit is about a young elephant who saves the Kingdom of Thailand while on a dangerous quest ...

  • News

    UK's Firefly plans film about Beslan tragedy

    2006-06-05T15:29:00Z

    UK production company Firefly Films is developing a feature film about the2004 Beslan School tragedy. The tentative budget is planned at about $9.4m (£5m) and alate 2007 or early 2008 shoot is planned in Europe. Screenwriter Richard Lasser is developing the script and a director will bebrought onto the project ...

  • News

    Arts Alliance upgrades UK digital screens to JPEG2000

    2006-06-05T16:05:00Z

    Digitalcinema services company Arts Alliance Media (AAM) has upgraded all 50 QuVIS servers installedduring Phase 1 of the UK Film Council's Digital Screen Network to be JPEG2000compatible. Thisbrings the network in line with the new standards being adopted by the DigitalCinema Initiative, a consortium of Hollywood studios. Disney'sThe Wild has ...

  • Reviews

    Colossal Youth

    2006-06-05T18:00:00Z

    Dir: Pedro Costa. Portugal/France/Switzerland 2006. 155 mins Without a doubt the most difficult film in this year's Cannes competition - where it provoked more walk-outs than any other film - Pedro Costa's hyper-austere Colossal Youth at least deserves some recognition and respect. While the film admittedly seems inert for ...

  • News

    UK producers plan remake of The House On Straw Hill

    2006-06-05T17:43:00Z

    New London-based production company De Naray Sothcott Entertainment plans to shoot its first featurethis summer. The project is a $1.5m remake of 1975 British horror film The House On StrawHill. Bob Keen, who has worked asa crewmember on Hellraiserand Dog Soldiers, will direct. Jonathan Sothcott and Constantine de Naray will ...

  • Reviews

    Cars

    2006-06-05T18:00:00Z

    Exquisitelycrafted and warmly emotional, Cars isanother dazzling display Of computer animation from the apparently infalliblepeople at Pixar, this one telling its tale with a cast of cleverly humanisedautomobiles. The commercialprospects are certainly very strong, but the company's latest comedy adventure maynot be quite as sure a thing as Pixar's track ...

  • Reviews

    Silk

    2006-06-05T04:00:00Z

    Written and directed by Chao-Pin Su. Taiwan 2006. 118 mins.

  • News

    IFC plans unrated US theatrical release of Rated

    2006-06-05T00:00:00Z

    IFCFilms is planning a limited US theatrical release for Kirby Dick's censorshipdocumentary This Film Is Not Yet Ratedand in a fitting snub to the powers that be will not submit it to the MPAA fora rating.Thedistributor plans a Sept 1 launch in New York and Los Angeles and will expandbeyond ...

  • News

    Deals flurry for Darclight on Hood Of Horror

    2006-06-06T04:00:00Z

    ArclightFilms' genre imprint Darclight Films concluded a raft of sales in Cannes on thehorror-comedy package Snoop Dogg's Hood Of Horror.Dealsclosed with Presidio in Japan, Tiberius in Germany, Dutch Film Works inBenelux, Gulf Films in the Middle East, and MFI in Thailand.Directedby Stacy Title, Snoop Dogg's Hood Of Horror comprises three ...

  • News

    Miramax develops US satire Homeland Insecurity

    2006-06-06T04:00:00Z

    MiramaxFilms is developing the satirical comedy Homeland Insecurity with the former editor-in-chief of The Onion RobertSiegel.Basedon a screenplay by Siegel, the project will be produced by David Miner and 3Arts Entertainment, and follows two ordinary Arab-Americans who get mistakenfor terrorists while on a business trip to Texas.Miramax'sdirector of production David ...

  • News

    SKE gets Yelchin, Downey for Charlie Bartlett

    2006-06-06T04:00:00Z

    SidneyKimmel Entertainment (SKE) is preparing to shoot the coming-of-age story CharlieBartlett this month starring AntonYelchin, Robert Downey Jr and Hope Davis.Theproject is the latest title to join MGM's burgeoning domestic distributionpipeline and will be sold overseas through Kimmel International.DavidPermut, Barron Kidd, Jay Roach and Sidney Kimmel are producing and SKEpresident ...

  • News

    TWC close to three-picture deal with Zhang Ziyi

    2006-06-06T00:00:00Z

    Harvey and Bob Weinstein are in negotiations with Chinesesuperstar Zhang Ziyi to star in three pictures.It is understood the deal includes a live-action version of Mulanand a remake of AkiraKurosawa's 1954 action classic The Seven Samurai. The third project remained unknown attime of writing.The brothers are likely to seek local ...

  • News

    TWC picks up Korean action title City Of Violence

    2006-06-06T07:00:00Z

    The Weinstein Company (TWC) hasacquired all North American rights to Korean action film The City Of Violence, directed by Ryoo Seung-wan. Known for martial artsfantasy Arahan and last year'sDirector's Fortnight entry Crying Fist,Ryoo also stars in The City Of Violence,alongside martial arts choreographer Jung Doo-hong.Jung plays Tae-soo, a Seoul police ...

  • News

    Dentsu, Mitsubishi launch $18m animation fund

    2006-06-06T00:00:00Z

    Japan's largest advertising firm Dentsu and trading house Mitsubishi Corp areestablishing a $17.8m (Y2bn) investment fund to produce and distribute Japaneseanimation. The fund will be managed byDentsu subsidiary Geneon Entertainment and Mitsubishi subsidiary d-rights. Dentsu is contributing 30%,Geneon 20% and d-rights 50% of the fund which will underwrite 15 to ...

  • News

    Pathe's busy Cannes led by Loach's Barley

    2006-06-06T11:35:00Z

    Ken Loach's The Wind That Shakes TheBarley came away from Cannes with the Palme d'Orand a slew of sales for Pathe Pictures International.Pathe sold rights to Cinequanon for Japan, Triangel Film for Sweden, Shani Films for Israel, Dongsoong Art Center for South Korea, Best Film for Poland, Ster-Kinekor for South ...

  • Reviews

    The Break-Up

    2006-06-06T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Peyton Reed. US. 2006. 107mins.Poor star chemistry and a screenplay without a first act - and not much of a final one, either - turn this highly anticipated romantic comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston into a keen disappointment. But the film has so far proved critic-proof. Thanks ...

  • Reviews

    Buenos Aires 1977

    2006-06-06T04:00:00Z

    Dir:Israel Adrian Caetano,Argentina. 2006. 102minsBased on a true story set in 1970s Argentina,Israel Adrian Caetano’s Bueno Aires 1977(Cronaca De Una Fuga) is a familiar story of a prison break-out told infamiliar terms.Snapped up at Cannes by TheWeinstein Company for the US, whereit opens in January 2007, and Australasia, the film ...

  • News

    Carolina Herrera starts new film awards with UK's NFTS

    2006-06-06T14:15:00Z

    Fashionbrand Carolina Herrera New York is launching its new 212Innovation Awards, with the first year to focus on film.Thedesign company is working with the National Film and Television School in the UK for the awards, with support fromthe UK government's Arts & BusinessNew Partners scheme.The competitionis open to aspiring film-makers ...

  • News

    Half of Zentropa up for sale to employees

    2006-06-07T04:00:00Z

    Asthey both celebrated their 50th birthdays in May, Lars von Trier and Peter Aalbaek Jensenhave given a lot of thought to the future of Zentropa,the Danish film production company they founded in 1992.Withtheir five associate partners, von Trier and Jensenhave decided to sell half of the company to directors and ...

  • News

    Wolfhound hunts down Cannes sales

    2006-06-07T04:00:00Z

    Leading Russian producer and distributor Central Partnershiphas announced pre-sales for two of its high-profile projects: the $12m Slavicfantasy Wolfhound and $10m sci-fi Paragraph 78.Both were sold following an official sales launch, includingsome footage, to more than 120 distributors at Cannes.Before the festival SPI International had acquired allrights to Wolfhound for ...