Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski took to the stage in Las Vegas to talk up this year pipeline on the back of the company’s second biggest ever hit Nosferatu, and a successful awards season.
Kujawski told attendees at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace: “While I truly do believe that the specialty sector does pollinate the movies business,” he said, referencing his CinemaCon 2023 address, “it’s more important that I say movie theatres pollinate our entire global culture.”
Affirming the company’s range of films and commitment to ”the vital theatrical experience”, the executive
Kujawski showed first-looks from Wes Anderson’s expected Cannes world premiere The Phoenician Scheme, out on May 30; Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia, which opens on November 7 and reunites the filmmaker with his Kinds Of Kindness stars Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons; and Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale on September 12.
The slate includes Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s Honey Don’t! in May starring Margaret Qualley, Chris Evans and Aubrey Plaza; Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, which is in post and stars Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley; and Daniel Day-Lewis coming out of retirement to star in Anemone, which he co-wrote with his son and director Ronan Day-Lewis.
Nosferatu has earned $180m worldwide, ranking second behind Downton Abbey’s $195m in 2019.
Focus Features’ awards season saw Conclave win best adapted screenplay for Peter Straughan and has earned more than $32m in North America and $113m worldwide. Several years ago Focus acquired international rights from FilmNation to Anora, winner of the best picture Oscar as well as best director for Sean Baker and three other awards, and international rights from Protagonist Pictures to The Brutalist, winner of best lead actor for Adrian Brody and best score for Daniel Blumberg.
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