Small MPU – Page 3915

  • News

    Cinema Service learns to speak Chinese

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    Korean major Cinema Servicehas tied up a multi-picture deal with Thomas Leong's Hong Kong productionoutfit Lotus Entertainment.While details of theagreement have yet to be finalised, the deal is understood to involve CinemaService financing a slate of Chinese pictures that Lotus will source, developand produce."We want to make genuinelyChinese films that ...

  • News

    DENMARK

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    By clinging to its strong screen average and falling back just 3%, Something's Gotta Give moved into the top spot in its second week as Brother Bear dropped 25%.The new release of Cold Mountain just managed to edge in on fourth with its 25 prints, while 21 Grams' low eight ...

  • News

    GERMANY

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    BVI's release of Scary Movie 3 was the strongest opener of 2004 to date, grossing $7.3m from 630 screens with a screen average of $ 11,565.The only other new entry in the Top 15 was Constantin Film's 21 Grams - with $371,969 from 107 prints - which could follow the ...

  • News

    UK/IRELAND

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    UIP's Along Came Polly saw a stunning launch in the UK and Ireland last weekend slipping easily into first place with a $4.2m gross.Along Came Polly is the latest comedy success in the UK following strong showing so far this year for Scary Movie 3 ($16.7m to date), School Of ...

  • News

    Italian critics unveil early Nastri D'Argento nominations

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    In a surprise move destined to boost Italian films at the box office, Italy's national critics union (SNCCI) has announced its full list of nominees for the country's second biggest awards - the Nastri D'Argento - two months earlier than in previous years.The Nastri D'Argento (literally, Silver Ribbons) awards ceremony ...

  • News

    ITALY

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    Silvio Soldini's latest film, Agatha And The Storm, opened in seventh place at the Italian box office, grossing $484,799 from 126 screens for a strong, if unspectacular, screen average of $3,848.The weekend's other local opener, Sotto Falso Nome (aka A Strange Crime) opened rather more disappointingly: the Medusa thriller, which ...

  • News

    JAPAN

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    Master And Commander finished its first weekend at the Japanese box office, with Y187,552,450 ($1.7 million) on 136,257 admissions, for a Y718,591 ($6,592) average on 261 screens. The film, which opened on February 28, is expected to finish with a total of Y2 billion ($18.3 million). "Not a bad number ...

  • News

    New Spanish distributor starts to build slate

    2004-03-03T04:00:00Z

    New Barcelona-based distributor ABL Augusta has closed its first two all-rights acquisitions for Spain with Morgan Spurlock's hit Sundance documentary Super Size Me and Takashi Miike's Japanese thriller One Missed Call.Veteran executive Adolfo Blanco launched ABL after leaving his position as director of distribution at DeA Planeta in January. His ...

  • Reviews

    Touch Of Pink

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Ian Iqbal Rashid. UK-Canada. 2004. 91mins.The latest entry in the canon of colourful Indian-diaspora comedies after Bend It Like Beckham, The Guru and Bollywood/Hollywood, Touch Of Pink is a notable directorial debut from UK TV writer and poet Ian Iqbal Rashid. Oozing charm and a genuine joie de vivre ...

  • News

    Sony, Dubbing Brothers team up for German launch

    2000-03-17T18:20:00Z

    Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and French dubbing specialist Dubbing Brothers have unveiled plans to build a $4.5m (DM9m) state-of-the-art digital facility at the Babelsberg studios outside Berlin.SPE will take a 25% stake in the venture - which is called Dubbing Brothers Germany (DBG) - and contribute technical expertise and ...

  • News

    Channel 4, Senator play the blame game

    2004-03-03T04:00:00Z

    UK broadcaster Channel 4 has defended itself against legal proceeding from Senator Films over its closure of its stand alone film unit FilmFour, saying that it made a claim first against the German company.Senator, which had an output deal with FilmFour, filed a lawsuit this week against Channel Four for ...

  • News

    Japan's Movie Television files for bankruptcy protection

    2004-03-03T04:00:00Z

    Japan's Movie Television, a leading seller of Hollywood films and TV programmes to Japanese TV, has filed for protection from its creditors after its debts climbed to $345m (Y38bn) at the end of January.Launched in 1984, Movie Television acquires broadcasting rights to TV series and films from five major studios ...

  • News

    Irish exhibitors clamour for Passion prints

    2004-03-03T04:00:00Z

    Irish distribution company Eclipse Pictures, which is handling the Irish release of The Passion Of The Christ for Icon UK, has had to secure an additional 10 prints for the Irish release, such is the demand for the picture from exhibitors.Of the 60 prints now available, approximately 50 will play ...

  • News

    Italian film set for Euros 70m emergency funding

    2004-03-03T04:00:00Z

    Culture Minister Giuliano Urbani is to present on Friday an emergency decree to the Italian Parliament to pour extra funds into the local cinema industry, after the Italian bank that manages the film industry's funds announced that its coffers are almost emptyAccording to Italian financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore, ...

  • News

    Chinese box office to triple within five years

    2004-03-03T04:00:00Z

    China is forecast to be the fast growing cinema market in the Asia Pacific region over the next five years according to a new report, Cinemagoing Asia Pacific by Dodona Research.Chinese box office is expected to more than triple to reach $380m by 2008, compared to $120m last year. The ...

  • News

    Scary 3 has a monster opening in Germany

    2004-03-03T04:00:00Z

    Scary Movie 3 enjoyed a massive $7.4m number one bow in Germany on626 screens through Buena Vista International (BVI) at the weekend for thebiggest release of the year there so far this year.It was also the biggest everbow opening for a Miramax production and contributed to a $12m weekend haulfrom ...

  • News

    Gothika starring Cruz opens top in Spain for CTFDI

    2004-03-03T04:00:00Z

    The horrorpicture Gothikastarring local star Penelope Cruz opened top in Spain at the weekend on $2.5mon 262 screens through Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International(CTFDI).The decent debutwas part of a $4.1m weekend haul for the picture, which raised itsinternational running total to $23.9m.Elsewhere, thedrama Big Fishgrossed $2.7m for a $19m running ...

  • News

    Return Of The King adds $11m to bring gross to $663.1m

    2004-03-03T04:00:00Z

    On the weekendthat The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King won all 11 of the Oscars for which ithad been nominated, Peter Jackson's trilogy finale leapfrogged 2001's HarryPotter And The Sorcerer's Stone to become the second biggest international picture of all time.It added $11mfrom 3,148 screens in ...

  • News

    Ebeling, Behring complete management buyout of MCOne

    2004-03-03T04:00:00Z

    Sven Ebeling and HagenBehring, co-chief executive officers of Media Cooperation One (MCOne), one ofGermany's largest independent video and DVD distributors, have completed amanagement buyout of the company.Ebeling and Behring,co-founders and shareholders of MCOne, last month acquired the remainingmajority shares of the company previously owned by DBI, the equity division ofDeutsch ...

  • News

    Forman to receive lifetime award from San Francisco

    2004-03-03T04:00:00Z

    Milos Formanwill receive the Film Society Award for Lifetime Achievement in Directing atthe 47th San Francisco International Film Festival, which runs from Apr 15-29.The Award willbe presented by Danny DeVito on Apr 22 at a black tie gala in honour of Formanand Oscar winning actor Chris Cooper, who will receive ...