All Finance articles – Page 215

  • News

    HK government earmarks $38m for local film industry

    2007-02-28T16:33:00Z

    The Hong Kong government has earmarked $38.4m (HK$300m) for the creation of a fund to support local film production and foster new talent. The measures were announced on Wednesday (Feb 28) by Hong Kong financial secretary Henry Tang in his budget address to the Legislative Council. Tang said he was ...

  • News

    Eurimages gives $5.1m to 10 European co-productions

    2007-02-28T16:04:00Z

    At its 104th meeting that ended Feb 27 in Strasbourg, the Council of Europe Eurimages Fund Board of Management has given support to 10 features in its latest funding round, for a total of $5.1m (Euros 3.86m). The backed features are: Clara by Helma Sanders-Brahms (Germany, France, Hungary)Dorothy Mills by ...

  • News

    UK's Rainmaker to make Russian orphan documentary with Jon Blair

    2007-02-28T12:36:00Z

    UK-based finanacing and production company Rainmaker Films is working with award-winning director Jon Blair (Anne Frank Remembered) for documentary Ochberg's Orphans. Tsotsi cinematographer Lance Gewer is on board, as is film archivist Adrian Wood. Rainmaker's Paul Goldin and Georgina Townsley are producing. The documentary is about a South African tycoon ...

  • News

    Handmade pact with Ilion for $50m CGI film Planet One

    2007-02-28T10:45:00Z

    The UK's revived Handmade Films is partnering on financing, production and sales with Spain's Ilion Animation Studios for the $50m CGI animated feature Planet One. Shrek and Shrek 2 writer Joe Stillman wrote the original screenplay for the project, which will be directed by Jorge Blanco, who created the game ...

  • News

    Departed players reteam for Confession remake

    2007-02-28T06:42:00Z

    It looks like Warner Bros is keen to replicate the success of Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning The Departed. The remake of Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs picked up four Oscars, including best picture, director and adapted screenplay, on Sunday night and has grossed more than $250m. ...

  • News

    Sony, SND/M6, Tele Muenchen among buyers of Marvel films

    2007-02-28T02:24:00Z

    Marvel Studios has announced a series of international deals on Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, the first two films which it is self-financing through its recent $525m credit facility from Merrill Lynch.Sony Pictures has acquired distribution rights to both films in Japan and Spain, SND/M6 has taken them for ...

  • News

    GreeneStreet, Katz reteam for third time on Strange But True

    2007-02-27T23:04:00Z

    New York and Los Angeles-based GreeneStreet Films (GSF) has purchased the screenplay and the rights to John Searles' novel Strange But True.Ross Katz brought the project to GSF and will produce with the company, which will finance and produce. Katz and GSF previously collaborated on In The Bedroom and are ...

  • News

    Jeremy Thomas to work with Jon Amiel on Charles Darwin film

    2007-02-27T16:33:00Z

    Prolific UK producer Jeremy Thomas of Recorded Picture Company is in pre-production on a drama based on the life of Charles Darwin.The film will be directed by Jon Amiel (The Core, Entrapment, Sommersby) and John Collee (Happy Feet, Master And Commander) will adapt from Randal Keynes' 2001 book Annie's Box.The ...

  • News

    UK's Darklight scheme selects 10 women for horror projects

    2007-02-27T13:32:00Z

    The UK has launched a new training and production initiative to encourage women film-makers working in the horror genre. Darklight: Women Direct Horror has been established by Warp X with Threshold Studios, and support from Skillset. There were 76 applications for the scheme, and 10 women have been selected: Smita ...

  • News

    Mary McGuckian plans UK and US shoot for Art In Las Vegas

    2007-02-27T10:38:00Z

    The UK's Pembridge Pictures is in pre-production for Mary McGuckian's Art In Las Vegas, the third film in her 'amorality' trilogy which will start shooting this summer in London and Las Vegas. London-based Scion Films and Toronto-based Prospero Pictures are also on board. The ensemble cast will draw from some ...

  • News

    Marvel's new Hulk movie set for Toronto shoot in summer

    2007-02-27T02:17:00Z

    Marvel Studios has confirmed it will shoot The Incredible Hulk in Toronto this summer. The $100m+ comic book adaptation is the second feature of the newly-refinanced studio folllowing Iron Man. The announcement came as welcome news for the city following last week's tentative settlement of a strike by Canadian performers. ...

  • News

    Japanese box office hit Dororo spawns two sequels

    2007-02-23T02:12:00Z

    TBS producer Takashi Hirano has announced that he plans to make two sequels of Japanese box office hit Dororo. The sequels will be filmed next year in the back-to-back style of Lord Of The Rings, with a tentative release set for 2009. The combined budget for the films will be ...

  • News

    Fox executive VP Grass to take leading role at Universal

    2007-02-23T00:00:00Z

    Christian Grass, London-based executive vice president at Fox International, is leaving to take on the key international production job at Universal Pictures.The move reunites Grass with his old Miramax International boss David Linde, who was named co-chairman of Universal Studios in March last year.Neither Grass nor Universal would comment on ...

  • News

    Telefilm backs new films from Falardeau, Poole, Picard

    2007-02-22T22:50:00Z

    Fresh from his triumphant Best Picture prize for Congorama at Quebec's Jutras earlier this week, Quebecois auteur Philippe Falardeau has been greenlit by Telefilm Canada for his next production, C'est Pas Moi Je Le Jure. It was one of ten films in the latest round of French-language project funding by ...

  • News

    UKFC Development Fund backs projects from Kudos and Vertigo

    2007-02-22T12:26:00Z

    The UK Film Council's Development Fund has announced the latest round of projects it is supporting with National Lottery awards. The projects being funded include spy satire Blowback, which is written by Rupert Walters and will be produced by Stephen Garrett and Paul Webster at Kudos. That film gets $121,892 ...

  • News

    Renny Harlin to make his first film in Finland in 20 years

    2007-02-21T16:40:00Z

    Currently making Cleaner in the US with Samuel L Jackson and Ed Harris, Finnish Hollywood-director Renny Harlin will direct his first film in Finland for 20 years, a $15.8-18.8m (Euros 12m-14m) epic of Finnish historical legend CGE Mannerheim, a Swedish-speaking nobleman who served the Russian Tsar before returning in 1917 ...

  • News

    HBO signs multi-platform deal with American Girl doll brand

    2007-02-20T22:31:00Z

    HBO has signed an overall multi-platform deal with the American Girl retail brand, kicking off with an upcoming feature based on the historical character Kit Kittredge to be released through Picturehouse.The agreement will encompass theatrical films, series, specials and documentaries as part of a broad commercial venture with the wholly-owned ...

  • News

    Cowan and Wheeldon kick off new UK genre production outfit TFD

    2007-02-20T15:56:00Z

    Paul Cowan and Chris Wheeldon have launched new UK production company Territorial Film Developments (TFD), which will finance and produce at least three thrillers or comedies per yer with a budget under $1.9m (£1m). The company's first feature is Black Water, being made with the Australian Film Commission. The crocodile ...

  • News

    Ecosse, RPC and Samuelson team for new UK film fund

    2007-02-20T15:27:00Z

    Three of the UK 's top independent production companies - Ecosse Films, Recorded Picture Company (RPC) and Samuelson Productions - are teaming to create Visible Films. The new collaboration will work as an Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) to take advantage of the UK government's new film tax credit. Under EIS ...

  • News

    Bousman back in director's chair for Saw IV

    2007-02-20T01:28:00Z

    Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures confirmed yesterday [Feb 19] that Darren Lynn Bousman will direct Saw IV, due to open around the world on Oct 26.Bousman directed the last two Saw horror instalments, which together have grossed more than $300m worldwide. He recently signed to adapt the rock opera Repo! The ...