All articles by Liz Shackleton – Page 158
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Kiriyama makes directing debut on Yoroi
Japanese scriptwriter Isao Kiriyama, a regular collaborator with cult director Ryuhei Kitamura, is set to make his directing debut on horror project Yoroi for Gaga Communications. Kitamura has developed the project which he will also produce alongside Ring producer Shinya Kawai. The story revolves around a hostage family on the ...
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Sleepless writer turns to the devil with Pacifica
Christine Iso's LA-based Pacifica International is producing an action adventure that tells the story behind the devil's fall from grace, which is being scripted by Sleepless In Seattle writer David S. Ward. Ward is scripting from a story by first-time director Ray Griggs who has personally financed development of the ...
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JA Media unveils debut five-picture slate
Start-up Chinese production outfit JA Media has unveiled plans to invest $200m in film and TV production over the next five years, along with details of its debut $30m five-picture slate. Hong Kong filmmakers Stanley Kwan, Tsui Hark, Ann Hui and Stephen Fung are lined up to direct projects for ...
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Golden Harvest rings L's bells
Hong Kong-based Golden Harvest Entertainment has pre-bought Hong Kong and Taiwanese rights to Nippon Television Network's upcoming Death Note spin-off which has the working title L. The original Death Note and its sequel grossed more then $67m in Japan. The spin-off, directed by Hideo Nakata and starring Kenichi Matsuyama, is ...
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UTV looks to acquisitions for new channels
India's UTV is ramping up its acquisition activities here at Cannes ahead of the launch of a bouquet of new movie channels over the coming months. The first to launch will be Bindass Movies, a companion to general entertainment channel Bindass, both of which are aimed at upwardly mobile 16-35 ...
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Arclight and Micott & Basara fund fighters
Arclight Films and Japan's Micott & Basara will jointly finance and produce a live-action adaptation of bestselling video game King Of Fighters, which is set to be directed by Hong Kong film-maker Gordon Chan.Chan (The Medallion, Fist Of Legend) will direct from a script by Chris Chow who wrote the ...
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Germany's Splendid takes on Jaa's Ong Bak 2
Germany's Splendid has become the first distributor to pounce on Ong Bak 2, starring and directed by Tony Jaa, since The Weinstein Company surrendered international rights to the project. TWC acquired all rights excluding Asia and the UK to the film last year, from Thailand's Sahamongkolfilm International, but recently renegotiated ...
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New Line takes North America on Darclight's Sick House
New Line Cinema has acquired North American rights from Darclight Films to the British horror film The Sick House.Directed and co-written by Curtis Radclyffe, the film tells the story of an archaeologist, played by Gina Phillips (Jeepers Creepers), who becomes trapped in an abandoned hospital and is preyed upon by ...
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Last Vampire gets first bite in UK
Hong Kong producer Bill Kong has sealed one of the first major deals on upcoming action title Blood: The Last Vampire in the first days of the market, by selling all UK rights to Pathe UK Distribution. Chris Nahon is directing the $35m English-language film starring Korean superstar Gianna Jun ...
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Fortissimo ties the knot with Iceland's Country Wedding
Fortissimo Films has acquired all rights outside Scandinavia to Icelandic comedy Country Wedding, currently shooting in Snaefellsness, Iceland. The brainchild of editor-turned-director Valdis Oskarsdottir, the film is a road movie about two busloads of Icelanders attending a wedding in a small church in the country. Completion is scheduled in time ...
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Japanese in Cannes talk co-production cash
Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunka-Cho) is attending Cannes this year to talk up the subsidies that are available in Japan for international co-productions.Since introducing a film promotion policy in 2003, the agency has $6.6m (Y800m) available annually to support production of domestic films. It now wants to alert international ...
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Thailand's GMM Tai Hub sells Alone to UniKorea
Thailand's GMM Tai Hub (GTH) has sold Korean rights to horror hit Alone to UniKorea. The company also sold to a string of other territories including France, Benelux and Brazil. Alone stars Thai pop singer-model-TV actress Marsha Wattanapanich as an expat wife living in Korea. The second film from the ...
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Easternlight makes Fatal Contact with TWC
The Weinstein Company (TWC) has acquired North American rights to Hong Kong martial arts action title Fatal Contact from Arclight Films' Asian division Easternlight. The film has also been sold to Metropolitan, which has bought all rights for France, and Tiberius for Germany. Directed by Dennis Law and produced by ...
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SCB on board for gap finance of Hippo's Wushu
Hong Kong 's Hippopotamus Films has concluded a financing deal with Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), which will help arrange gap finance on its upcoming martial arts drama Wushu. SCB has pledged to lend up to 25% of the required funds for the $1.5m film once pre-conditions are met. The bank ...
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CMC boards Chen Kaige's biopic of opera singer Mei Lanfang
Taiwan's CMC Entertainment has boarded Chen Kaige's upcoming biopic of Chinese opera singer Mei Lanfang as co-producer alongside China Film Group. Leon Lai and Zhang Ziyi are being lined up to star in the $15m film which is tentatively scheduled to start shooting in July. Mei, who was famous for ...
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UTV launches new film banner Spotboy
India's UTV Motion Pictures is launching a second motion picture brand, Spotboy Motion Pictures, to be headed by Vikas Bahl, who was formerly business head of Indian broadcaster SAB TV. Bahl, who has been appointed executive vice president of the new label, has also worked with indya.com, Radio Mirchi and ...
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Fukusaku and Oshii unite to lead Toei's Rebellion
Japanese studio Toei is developing a sci-fi action project, Rebellion: The Killing Isle (working title), uniting two of Japan's hottest film-making talents - Kenta Fukasaku and Mamoru Oshii.Battle Royale II director Fukasaku is set to direct the $10m film from a script by Oshii - director of acclaimed anime titles ...
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Emperor takes stake in Jay Chou project Kung Fu Dunk
Hong Kong-based Emperor Motion Pictures (EMP) has taken an equity position in the new Jay Chou martial arts action comedy Kung Fu Dunk, and will handle sales of the film to all territories in Europe and the Americas. EMP, which had previously acquired Hong Kong rights to the film, reached ...
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Universe strikes Asian deals for Invisible Target
Hong Kong's Universe Films Distribution has concluded several Asian deals on Benny Chan's upcoming action title Invisible Target between Hong Kong Filmart and Cannes. The $8m film, starring Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue and Jaycee Chan, has been sold to India's JDR Films, Singapore's Innoform, Thailand's M Pictures, Malaysia's Grand Brilliance ...
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Hong Kong's Triangle added to Cannes official selection
Hong Kong-Chinese action thriller Triangle, directed by Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam and Johnnie To, has been added to Cannes official selection just days before the festival begins. The film has been programmed as an out-of-competition Midnight Screening on Thursday night/Friday morning at 12:20am. Cannes and the film's producers were waiting ...