5
Days of Show Business
Overview of deals clinched at Cannesf
*FilmFour
sealed a US deal on Peter Cattaneo's comedy, Lucky Break.
Paramount and Miramax are jointly to release the film in North
America, Australia and New Zealand. Lucky
Break, which is being made by Uri Fruchtmann and Barnaby
Thompson's Fragile Films for FilmFour, is to shoot later this
year at Ealing Studios. It's the story of a group of prisoners
who put on a musical to disguise the fact that they're trying
to escape.
*
Miramax has picked up Cannes competition feature, Harry,
Un Ami Qui Vous Veut Du Bien for the US and English-speaking
Canada and of course, Miramax bought the rights to Vatel
for a mere $1.5 million -- "mere" when compared to the
$8 million asking price.
*
United Artists Films closed a three-picture deal with Japanese distributor
Schochiku for Karyn Kusama's Directors' Fortnight entry Girlfight,
Michael Winterbottom's Kingdom Come and Maggie Greenwald's
Songcatcher.
*
Capitol has secured an Italian sale on Terry Zwigoff's Ghost
World. The drama, starring American Beauty's
Thora Birch, is to be handled in Italy by Key Films.
*
The Sales Company reports "a lot of US interest" and one firm US
offer for Ken Loach's competition entry, Bread
And Roses.
*
Cowboy Booking International and Antidote Films' new joint-venture,
Code Red, which will acquire and support up to 10
films a year through a $1 million private investment fund, has acquired
In the Winter Dark and David
Gordon Green's Berlin hit George Washington.
*
Good Machine International has picked up The Hitman,
the latest Hong Kong action movie from star Jet Li (Lethal
Weapon 4).
*A number of Italy's Indie distributors have voiced deep concern
about their state broadcaster RAI's announcement that it is considering
entering theatrical distribution. The
broadcaster launched its new "independent" cinema production and
acquisition company, RAI Cinema, on Thursday (11 May), saying it
was considering entering theatrical distribution, but without saying
in what capacity. Filippo
Roviglioni, who formerly headed distribution at Cecchi Gori and
subsequently at PolyGram Italia, has been brought in to oversee
possible distribution ventures.
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