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All articles by Geoffrey Macnab – Page 187
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News
Tax financier Scope widens Euro goals
Aggressive new Belgiantax-based financier Scope Invest has boarded a new slate of French-languageBelgian films led by Benoit Mariage's new untitled comedy starring BenoitPoolevoorde, set for an October shoot, and Philppe Le Guay's Du Jours AuLendemain, also featuringPoolevoorde.Meanwhile, Scope is readyto board Jan Verheyen's Gilles, a remake of Dutch family film ...
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News
...as Weinsteins ride with Capitol Films' Stormbreaker
Bob and Harvey Weinstein are back in the spy kids business, with TheWeinstein Company taking North American rights to Stormbreaker, based on Anthony Horowitz's popular novels about reluctant14-year-old superspy Alex Rider.Capitol Films is sellinginternational rights to the $40m film, which has received hefty (£2.3 million)backing from the UK Film Council's ...
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News
High Point Gay in Amsterdam with Van Gogh
UK sales agent High Pointhas taken over international sales duties on Tom Six's Gay In Amsterdam, billed as the first ever drama to investigate indepth the thriving gay scene in the Netherlands' most vibrant city. HighPoint has also taken rights to the last two films by controversial filmmakerTheo Van Gogh, ...
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F&ME forges Balkan alliance for The Border Post
UK-based production companyFilm and Music Entertainment (F&ME) has forged a Balkan alliance for TheBorder Post, the first feature onwhich all the new nation states created by the break-up of the SocialistFederal Republic of Yugoslavia are collaborating as co-production partners. Set in late 80s on theMacedonian/Albanian border and centring around a ...
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News
Britney Spears adds heat to Celsius slate
A new Britney Spears project,the Janis Joplin biopic starring Pink and a $16m portmanteau picture featuringauteurs old and new headline an impressive debut slate for ThierryWase-Bailey's start-up sales outfit Celsius.Pregnant pop princess Spears is attached as producer on $55maction drama Trading Paint set in the rough and tumble world of ...
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News
Frears set for The Queen and Di
In a move likely to ruffleestablishment feathers in the UK, Stephen Frears is going ahead with TheQueen, his long-gestating featureabout the death of Princess Diana, "the people's princess." Co-financed by Pathe Pictures and Granada Screen, The Queen is scheduled to shoot in September. It is likely toair first on TV ...
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Brits on pre-Cannes shopping spree
UK companies picked up several titles from theCannes official selection before today's festival opening.Tartan signed CarlosReygadas' competition entry Battle In Heaven, Kim Ki-Duk's Un Certain Regard entry, The Bow, and Kim Jee-woon's A Bittersweet Life (screening out of competition.)It also took UK rights (excluding TV) to James Marsh's Un Certain ...
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News
Icon does brisk business with Clear Day
UK sales outfit Icon International has been doing brisk business on therun up to Cannes with Gaby Dellal's On A Clear Day, securing salesto MK2 (France), Degeto/ARD for free TV in Germany as well as wrapping dealswith Portugal (Lusomundo), Israel (Shapira) and Iceland (Skifan.)On A Clear Day, the opening film ...
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News
Elton John to exec produce It's A Boy Girl Thing
SirElton John is to executive produce high school comedy It's A Boy Girl Thing through his company Rocket Pictures, it was announced this week. "Iabsolutely love this project. The script is hysterical - I can't stop laughingwhenever I read it," the British pop star commented.Directedby Nick Hurran (Little Black Book, ...
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Warner Bros boards Ant and Dec's Alien
Warner Bros is to handleinternational distribution on Alien Autopsy, the new feature showcasingthe acting talents of diminutive British TV presenters Ant and Dec. The film, produced by MichaelKuhn of Qwerty Films and Barnaby Thompson of Ealing Studios, begins shootingnext month.Alien Autopsy is a comedy abouttwo friends who make a spoof ...
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Dubrovnik Film Festival unveils competition line-up
The DubrovnikFilm Festival, taking place in Croatia immediately after Cannes, has confirmeddetails of its line-up and many of its guests. The festival (running 25 to 29May) is to open with Charles Dance's Ladies In Lavender and to close with Sahara.Britishactor John Hurt is President of the main festival jury. Other ...
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News
Willemsen parts company with Maurits Binger Institute
In a surprise move, it was announced last week that DickWillemsen's contract as director of the Maurits Binger Film Institutewill not be renewed. Willemsen is on six month's notice and will be leavingthe Institute in early August.Founded in 1995, the Amsterdam-based Binger Film Instituteoffers project-driven training for screenwriters, directors, producers ...
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Intandem mulls distribution move with Woolley's Stoned
A new entrant looks set to join UK's already crowdeddistribution sector. Gary Smith's Intandem Films is strongly considering handlingthe British release of Stephen Woolley's directorial debut, Stoned,about the life and death of Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones. Intandemfinanced and is selling the film, formerly known as The Wild And WyckedWorld ...
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UK exhibitors call for cinema rentals rethink
Thevexed issue of UK cinema rentals - the sums paid to distributors by exhibitors- has come into sharp focus following remarks by John Wilkinson, chiefexecutive of the Cinema Exhibitors' Association.UKrentals are reputed to be among the lowest in Europe, but Wilkinson has told ScreenInternational that in some cases they should ...
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News
Storitel launches $1m fund to back UK talent
Manchester-based producer Storitel Films, the company set upby software tycoon Paul Sherwood, has established a $1m development fund toback new British talent. "We're looking for exciting projects from people whoare not able to get access to production money through the normal channels.We're looking at talent rather than experience," Sherwood said ...
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News
UK set to lose Paramount's $120m Watchmen
In a move underlining justhow tough it is to keep big budget Hollywood movies in the UK, theproducers of Paramount's superhero thriller Watchmen are on the verge of taking the film away fromPinewood Studios. The $120m sci-fi epic isalready in pre-production at Pinewood, but last week, several crew members -some ...
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News
Pinewood Shepperton acquires Teddington Studios
The UK's largest studio player, Pinewood SheppertonPLC, has acquired Teddington Studios, it was announced to the London stockmarket today (April 1.) Pinewood Shepperton has bought Teddington Studios Limited,which is currently in administration, and the entire share capital of TheStudio Broadcasting Company Limited (SBC) for £2.7m. Teddington, which is based in ...
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Schrader defiant as Exorcist prequel unveiled
Paul Schrader was indefiant mood as his Exorcist The Prequel was finally unveiled this weekend at the Brussels InternationalFestival of Fantastic Film. Flanked at Friday's pressconference by nine of his cast and crew, who had flown in to Belgium at theirown expense to support him, Schrader expressed his happiness that ...
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Reviews
Exorcist: The Prequel
Dir:Paul Schrader. US. 2005. 111mins.Shroudedin controversy, almost buried at birth by its producers Morgan Creek (whocommissioned an alternative version by Renny Harlin), Paul Schrader's Exorcistprequel is a far richer affair than its troubled production history mightsuggest. A notable improvement on Harlin's rushed job (released to mediocrebusiness and largely damning reviews ...
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Sony Pictures Classics swallows Jordan's Breakfast
Sony Pictures Classics has taken North American, LatinAmerican, German and South African rights to Neil Jordan's latest film, BreakfastOn Pluto.Breakfast On Pluto is Jordan's second adaptation ofa novel by Patrick McCabe following on from his award-winning 1997 effort, ButcherBoy. Starring Irish trio Cillian Murphy, Stephen Rea and BrendanGleeson as well ...