All UK/Ireland articles – Page 1040

  • News

    Spider-Man 3 drives Sony to cross overseas $1bn in record time

    8 July 2007

    The apocalyptic robots of Transformers just about did enough to keep Bruce Willis at bay as Paramount/DreamWorks' Transformers ruled the overseas market at the weekend. The action epic grossed an estimated $43.6m from 3,503 venues in 29 territories following last weekend's robust take-off and now stands at $93.6m. ...

  • News

    Michael Wailes to join UK's Vertigo as head of sales

    8 July 2007

    Vertigo Films has hired Michael Wailes in its new head of sales post. He will start the new position at the end of August.Wailes has worked in theatrical sales for more than 10 years, most recently at Tartan Films. Vertigo's Rupert Preston said: ''We are thrilled that Michael is joining ...

  • News

    Rupert Friend to star opposite Blunt in The Young Victoria

    6 July 2007

    Rupert Friend has been cast as Prince Albert to Emily Blunt's Queen Victoria in the forthcoming feature The Young Victoria. Jean Marc Vallee will direct from a script by Julian Fellowes. Graham King and Martin Scorsese are producing. Denis O'Sullivan will oversee the project for King's GK Films. The Young ...

  • News

    AV Pictures strikes UK deal for The Tournament with Entertainment

    6 July 2007

    AV Pictures has sold UK rights to action thriller The Tournament to Entertainment Film Distributors. The film, starring Robert Carlyle, Ving Rhames and Kelly Hu, is about a fight between the world's greatest assassins. AV likens it to 'a grown-up Battle Royale.' First-time feature director Scott Mann will start shooting ...

  • News

    Transformers expands to 18 new territories; set to cross $100m

    6 July 2007

    Paramount/PPI's Transformers has already amassed $53.5m since opening last weekend and stands a good chance of crossing $100m over the next several days in international markets. The effects-heavy tale of warring robots touches down in 18 new territories this weekend including Russia, Spain and Sweden on July 4. PPI stablemate ...

  • News

    Experts at Screenwriters Festival call for new Code Of Practice

    6 July 2007

    The status of screenwriters in the film industry and issues raised by the Screenwriters Manifesto have been a frequent subject of debate at the International Screenwriters Festival in Cheltenham, UK (July 3-6). After two days catering to emerging talents, Oscar-winning writer William Nicholson (Gladiator, forthcoming The Golden Age) opened the ...

  • News

    MARV Films: the magic touch

    6 July 2007

    Matthew Vaughn and Kris Thykier of MARV Films are moving into the big league with Stardust and a new Sony deal. Wendy Mitchell reports. Anyone bemoaning the decline of the UK film industry should open their eyes to the banner year at Matthew Vaughn's Marv Films. Marv has made the ...

  • News

    Tom Collins: immigrant song

    6 July 2007

    Northern Irish film-maker Tom Collins comes home to his favourite festival in Galway with his debut feature, Kings. Wendy Mitchell reports. The 2007 Galway Film Fleadh will be a homecoming for Tom Collins (above left), who will be screening his debut theatrical feature Kings at the event on July 13.The ...

  • News

    Editorial opinion: chasing the tale

    6 July 2007

    Story doesn't get the credit it deserves in most contemporary discussions of cinema. Or, come to it, in the industry's own categories of merit.It wasn't always so: between 1940 and 1956, a best story Oscar ran alongside that for best original screenplay; then, in 1957, it was quietly retired, and ...

  • News

    Metrodome plans August theatrical run for Wild Style

    5 July 2007

    Metrodome is planning the first UK theatrical release of hip-hop classic Wild Style. The 1982 film by Charlie Ahearn will hit cinemas on August 10. The film is a slice-of-life from the South Bronx , starring the likes of Grand Master Flash , Grand Wizard Theodore, D.St,, Grand Master Caz, ...

  • News

    Sakkalli takes new Asian sales post at producer Power

    5 July 2007

    European film and TV producer and distributor Power has named George Sakkalli to the new post of vice president, Asian sales and distribution. Sakkalli had been at Granada International where he was vice president of sales, Asia. Prior to that he worked for NBC Entertainment. Chris Philip, Power's worldwide sales ...

  • News

    Nicholson launches competition at Cheltenham screenwriting festival

    5 July 2007

    At the International Screenwriters Festival in Cheltenham, Oscar-nominated screenwriter William Nicholson today announced the call for entries for the new Screenwriter Development Competition from regional screen agency South West Screen. ‘I think the competition is a fantastic opportunity and I’m very much looking forward to reading the shortlisted entries and ...

  • News

    Valerio Zingarelli joins Babelgum as new CEO

    5 July 2007

    New Internet TV platform Babelgum has appointed Valerio Zingarelli as its new CEO. Zingarelli succeeds Babelgum co-founder Erik Lumer, who will now focus on strategic product development. Zingarelli previously worked at Vodafone, where he was global director of networks and service platforms, and he also served as an independent board ...

  • News

    Margaret Hodge takes UK film minister post under James Purnell

    4 July 2007

    Following last week's news that James Purnell has taken over as the UK 's Secretary for Culture, Media & Sport, Margaret Hodge has now been named Minister Of State at the DCMS, handling film activities. Purnell replaces Tessa Jowell as head of DCMS (she now is Olympics Secretary), and Hodge ...

  • News

    3 Mills joins Sohonet network

    4 July 2007

    London-based 3 Mills Studios has installed entertainment-industry Internet platform Sohonet. Sohonet provides high-speed connectivity to a system of users that already includes Pinewood Studios, Warner Bros, Technicolor, HBO, The Mill and Framestore CFC. 'As a leading UK facility, it is essential that our clients be provided with the best possible ...

  • News

    Irish producers get additional revenue share in new recoupment deal

    4 July 2007

    The Irish Film Board (IFB) has announced a new arrangement for loan recoupment which will enable producers financed by the IFB to share in revenues from their film or television projects, while the IFB itself is recouping its investment. According to the IFB, 'Irish production companies will now share in ...

  • News

    UK Film Council, BBC Two plan digital release of British classics

    4 July 2007

    The UK Film Council and the BBC Two are working together for the theatrical release of new digital presentations of seven British film classics. The Summer Of British Film season runs from late July to September 11. New digitap prints of the restored films will go out through the Digital ...

  • News

    Toby Melling to head Content's new library sales division

    4 July 2007

    Toby Melling has joined ContentFilm International as head of film library sales, the company's newly launched division which has a library of 100+ feature films. Melling had been vice president sales at Granada International and previously worked at BBC Worldwide, Capitol Films and Pandora in Paris. He will also run ...

  • News

    UTV Motion Pictures valued at $321m as AIM trading starts

    2 July 2007

    Indian film studio UTV Motion Pictures has started trading today on London's Alternative Investment Market (AIM). The company has raised about $70m (£35m) to fund a new slate of about 30 films, both Bollywood offerings and projects made with Hollywood.Shares rose from a placement guide of $2.90 to $3.07, putting ...

  • News

    Daniel Craig project to start UK portion of shoot

    2 July 2007

    Bailie Walsh's Flashbacks of A Fool had been shooting in South Africa since May 28 and will move to the UK on July 4.In addition to the previously announced starring role for Daniel Craig, the Flashbacks Of A Fool cast also includes Helen McCrory, Olivia Williams, Emilia Fox, Mark Strong, ...