Small MPU – Page 622

  • News

    France's TPS pre-buys Esposito's Beaute

    2004-07-01T04:00:00Z

    In keeping with its aggressive push towards pre-buys,satellite platform - and Canal Plus rival - TPS has pre-bought first windowrights to the next film from Le Coeur Des Hommes director Marc Esposito.Toute La Beaute Du Mondewill be in theatres in September 2004 and is produced by Pierre Javaux who wasalso ...

  • News

    UK/IRELAND 30 June

    2004-06-30T00:00:00Z

    Although six new titles made the UK top 20 this weekend thereal star was Shrek 2 despite being aweek from launch. The animated sequel raked in $10m (£5.5m) of previews overSaturday and Sunday which will be included in next week's opening weekendgross.The presence of Shrek2 had a devastating effect on ...

  • News

    NORTH AMERICA 30 June

    2004-06-30T00:00:00Z

    There must have been much pulling of hair and gnashing ofteeth at the neophyte right-wing outfit Move America Forward this weekfollowing the stunning number one opening of Fahrenheit 9/11. The conservative activists' were left with egg ontheir faces after a spectacularly ill-judged strategy unwittingly helpedMichael Moore and the "coalition of ...

  • News

    Toho-Towa appoints US buying agent

    2004-07-01T04:00:00Z

    Leading Japanese independent distributor Toho-Towa hascontracted with Los-Angeles- based Action 5 to be its sole US representative.The company will buy films for Toho-Towa to distribute in Japan, as well asproviding marketing support.Action 5 is a new agency headed by Yoko Asakura, the formerCEO for Gaga America. While at Gaga, Asakura ...

  • News

    Locarno to explore film and journalism

    2004-07-01T04:00:00Z

    The Locarno festival (4-14 Aug) will feature a sidebar onthe ever-changing relations between journalism and film, it was announcedyesterday.Speaking in London at a reception the festival'sartistic director Irene Bignardi said that the topical section will span thelength of film history and include a rare piece of 1899 Georges Melies dramaabout ...

  • News

    Hopscotch takes Oz rights to 2046

    2004-07-01T04:00:00Z

    Distributor Hopscotch has taken all Australian rights toWong Kar Wai's 2046 fromFortissimo Film Sales.Hopscotch managing director Troy Lum plans to release whathe calls the "scifiesque film" later this year or early next. Lumreleased Wong's previous film In The Mood For Love while he was still working at Dendy."It did reasonably ...

  • News

    Banderas to direct Los Ingleses in Spain

    2004-07-01T04:00:00Z

    Antonio Banderas has confirmed that he will direct his nextfilm in 2006 - in his native Spain.The actor told a Madrid press conference that he had boughtthe rights to Antonio Soler's novel El Camino De Los Ingleses and he would go behind the lens to shoot it at homein Spain."Antonio ...

  • News

    Canal Plus pledges $5m to Polish production

    2000-03-30T17:11:00Z

    French pay-TV giant Canal Plus has earmarked almost $5m (20m Polish zloyts) to support Polish film production in 2000, making it Poland's second largest producer after local broadcaster TVP.Canal Plus has invested more than 61m zloyts in 35 Polish films as part its on-going financial support programme, launched when it ...

  • News

    Venice to world premiere Oliveira's Imperio

    2004-07-01T04:00:00Z

    Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira and Singin' InThe Rain director Stanley Donen will bothreceive Golden Lions for lifetime achievement at this year's Venice FilmFestival (Sep1-Sep11).New Venice artistic director Marco Mueller also announcedthat Venice will host the world premiere of Oliveira's latest film, O QuintoImperio, a historical epic about Portugal'sKing Sebastian. ...

  • News

    Film director Lee replaced as Korean culture minister

    2004-06-30T00:00:00Z

    Film director Lee Chang-dong (Oasis), who has served as South Korea's Minister ofCulture and Tourism since February 2003, was replaced on Wednesday in a cabinetreshuffle.The move, which was widely expected, sees Chung Dong-chaetake over leadership of the Ministry.The 50-year old Chung worked as a journalist for many years beforeserving as ...

  • News

    Potter, Shrek 2 continue international reign

    2004-07-01T04:00:00Z

    Family titles Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban and Shrek 2 continued to reign internationally this week.Shrek 2 may haveexpanded its run into France and a handful of territories but HarryPotter's Japanese launch easily kept PrisonerOf Azkaban at the top of the internationalchart.Both Potter and 20thCentury Fox's The Day ...

  • News

    Beautiful Boxer falls to here!

    2004-07-01T04:00:00Z

    here! Films has acquiredNorth American distribution rights to Thai drama Beautiful Boxer from Arclight Films. The company plans to releasethe film theatrically in the US and Canada in the third quarter 2004.Based on the true story offamed Thai transgender kickboxer Parinya Charoenphol aka Nong Toom, the filmfollows the story of ...

  • News

    16 year-old arrested camcording Spider-man 2

    2004-07-01T04:00:00Z

    A 16 year-old boy wasarrested in the early hours of yesterday morning at a theatre in Chatsworth,California, for attempting to camcord the first public showing of Spider-Man2. The Motion Picture Association OfAmerica (MPAA) proudly announced the arrest yesterday, even naming theprojectionist (Scott Bergin) who spotted the teen pirate.Bergin was scanning ...

  • News

    Spider-man 2 leaps into 28 territories this weekend

    2004-07-01T04:00:00Z

    Columbia TriStar puts out the year's most hotlyanticipated film Spider-man 2 in 28territories this weekend day-and-date with the North American opening thisweek, but the studio is waiting until next weekend and the weekend after torelease the blockbuster sequel in Europe to avoid any interference from theEuropean football championships.Major territories which ...

  • News

    Summit, Endgame kick off The Alibi with stellar cast

    2004-07-01T04:00:00Z

    Summit Entertainment's The Alibi which the international production,sales and financing outfit is co-financing with Jim Stern's Endgame startedprincipal photography yesterday in Los Angeles with a stellar cast in place.Joining the previously announced Steve Coogan, RebeccaRomijn-Stamos and James Marsden are Sam Elliot, James Brolin, Selma Blair, JohnLeguizamo, Jamie King, Henry Rollins ...

  • News

    Bonham Carter, Taylor, Fox and Lee join Charlie cast

    2004-07-01T00:00:00Z

    Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor, James Fox, Missi Pyle andChristopher Lee have joined the cast of Tim Burton's Charlie And TheChocolate Factory whichhas started shooting in London for Warner Bros and Village Roadshow Pictures.Johnny Depp plays Willy Wonka in the film, 12 year-old British actorFreddie Highmore (Two Brothers, JM Barrie's ...

  • News

    Time Warner readies $4.8bn MGM bid

    2004-07-01T00:00:00Z

    Time Warner is putting together a nearly $5bn cash and stockoffer to acquire Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from under the eyes of frontrunner SonyCorp., according to wire and newspaper reports today.Reuters says that under the deal being considered, TimeWarner would offer MGM's 74% shareholder Kirk Kerkorian about $11.50 a share inTime Warner stock ...

  • News

    ROMANIA 1 July

    2004-07-01T00:00:00Z

    Four new releaseshit the Romanian cinemas last week but none could outdo the continuedperformance of the third Harry Potterepisode or Troy which is nearing the200,000 admission mark, something rarely seen in the Romanian market.One of last week'smajor flops belonged to vampire flick, Underworldwhich only managed just over 2,000 admissions on ...

  • News

    UK's Channel 4 names new chief executive

    2004-07-01T00:00:00Z

    UK broadcaster Channel 4 - parent of FilmFour - has named AndyDuncan as its new chief executive, succeeding Mark Thompson, who left to becomethe BBC's director general in May.Duncan, who is currently director of marketing,communications and audiences at the BBC, will take up his new post at "as soonas possible", ...

  • News

    Karlovy Vary withdraws Slovenian film from competition

    2004-07-02T04:00:00Z

    Slovenian director Metod Pevec's Beneath Her Window isbeing withdrawn from Karlovy Vary International Film Festival's (July 2 -10)official competition because it was shown at last November's film festival inLjubljana.International producer body FIAPF's director general Bertrand Moullierapproached Karlovy Vary's artistic director Eva Zaoralova at last week'smeeting of European Coordination of Film ...