Small MPU – Page 463

  • News

    Record debut for Warner Bros Japan's Windstruck

    2004-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Warner Bros Japan hasreported that Kwak Jaeyong's Korean love story Windstruck scoredthe biggest ever opening for a Korean-language title in Japan when it opened on$2.3m on Dec 11."We are very proud of Windstruck'sphenomenal opening in Japan, which is a strong indication of the country'increasing appetite for both Chinese and Korean-language ...

  • News

    Bridget approaching $200m at international box office

    2004-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Universal/WorkingTitle's Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason is expected to pass $200m atthe worldwide box office this week after an estimated $8.6m weekend haul on3,100 screens in 31 territories raised the international running total to$154m.The romantic comedy sequel has grossed $145.5m through UIP and opens in Italyon Jan 7 2005. ...

  • News

    2006 Oscars return to March

    2004-12-20T00:00:00Z

    The Oscars are moving back to theirtraditional March slot in 2006 to avoid a potential scheduling conflict with the winterOlympics.The 78th Academy Awards were originally set for Feb 26 but Academychiefs switched to Mar 5 after learning that NBC's US broadcast of the winterOlympics closing ceremony in Turin, Italy, would ...

  • News

    Rois Et Reine wins France's Prix Louis Delluc

    2004-12-20T00:00:00Z

    France's prestigious Prix Louis Delluc has been awarded toArnaud Desplechin's Rois Et Reine.At a small ceremony at Paris' Fouquet's restaurant on theChamps Elysees on Friday, Desplechin accepted the prize from Cannes Festivalpresident Gilles Jacob who also heads the Delluc jury.The prize for best first film, a relatively new category,went to ...

  • News

    William Morris Agency revamps senior management

    2004-12-20T00:00:00Z

    The William Morris Agency has revamped its management,promoting two executives to top jobs after three veterans left over differencesabout the company's direction.The agency, which represents top celebrities such asOscar winners Russell Crowe and Halle Berry, named Dave Wirtschafter presidentand Irv Weintraub chief operating officer.Norman Brokaw remains chairman, and Jim Wiatt ...

  • News

    Sogecable restructures production and distribution arms

    2004-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Spanish mini-studio Sogecable has restructured itsproduction and distribution houses, promoting two executives to oversee theareas run under the Sogecine and Sogepaq banners respectively.Formerdeputy director of distribution Simon de Santiago has been named new directorof production and international while former head of marketing FranciscoSanchez Ortiz has been named new director of ...

  • News

    Sweden blocks Sandrew Metronome cinema sale

    2004-12-20T00:00:00Z

    The planned sale of SandrewMetronome's cinema chain to rival SF Bio has been stopped by the state-runSwedish Competition Authority which has ruled that the deal would give SF Bio amonopoly on the Swedish market."Our opinion is that thedeal conflicts with the Swedish laws of competition and therefore we suggestthat it ...

  • News

    Australia's Becker acquires Moonlight Projects

    2004-12-20T00:00:00Z

    The Becker Group, which owns Australia's Dendy brand, hasacquired the Moonlight Projects outdoor cinema and cinema advertising group.The cashand share deal is worth $6.3m (A$8.3m). Moonlight is best known for its summerscreenings of contemporary and classic films in parklands located close to thecentre of Australia's capital cities.Thebusiness will continue to ...

  • News

    Shrek 2 rolls into Italy for box office top spot

    2004-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Shrek2 made itsinternational debut way back in May and this weekend saw the year's topgrossing film back on form as it opened in its final territory - Italy.DreamWorks Animation's smash hit sequel, handledinternationally by UIP except in Hong Kong and South Korea, grossed $4.1m (Euro3.1m) in Italy over the weekend ...

  • News

    Spain's Garci gears up to shoot You're The One

    2000-04-18T20:20:00Z

    Spanish director Jose Luis Garci begins production on April 24 on You're The One, his follow-up film to 1998 Oscar nominee The Grandfather (El Abuelo).Lydia Bosch (Al Limite), Juan Diego (Between Your Legs), Fernando Fernan Gomez (All About My Mother) and Ana Fernandez (Solas) are set to star in the ...

  • News

    Irish censor introduces new ratings system

    2004-12-21T04:00:00Z

    Two changes to existing film certificate categories arebeing introduced by Ireland's Film Censor, John Kelleher.A new '16'certificate will restrict admission to persons aged sixteen and over, and theexisting '12PG' and '15PG' certificates will be re-designated '12A' and '15A',where the 'A' denotes adult. The changes will take effect from Jan 1, ...

  • News

    HONG KONG 20 December

    2004-12-20T00:00:00Z

    FengXiaogang's A World Without Thieves knocked Bridget Jones off thetop spot but failed to lift the overall box office out of its recent downwardslide.The action drama, co-produced by Hong Kong's MediaAsia and Beijing-based Huayi Brothers, grossed US$342,335 from 48 screens.Itperformed much better on the mainland where it took RMB30m in ...

  • Reviews

    White Noise

    2004-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Dir:Vinta Nanda. India-UK. 2004. 108mins.A litmus test of how Indian cinema is changing in the MTV and satellite era,White Noise has all the New Bollywood ingredients: a feisty, sexuallyliberated, working heroine, a hip and sensitive male love interest who hasbroken away from his traditional family, satirical digs at contemporary IndianTV ...

  • News

    Taylor parts company with UGC Cinemas

    2004-12-21T04:00:00Z

    UGCCinemas UK and Ireland managing director Margaret Taylor has left the company,just weeks after the exhibitor was taken over by US buyout firm the BlackstoneGroup.Taylorwas in charge of the 42 UGC cinemas in the UK and Ireland. During her tenure,she was responsible for introducing the company's cinema loyalty card, theUnlimited ...

  • News

    Butler named as FilmFour development chief

    2004-12-21T04:00:00Z

    FilmFour have appointed Katherine Butler as head ofdevelopment.Butler was executive producer with the New Zealand FilmCommission until 2002 where she developed projects including the Academy Awardnominated Whale Rider. Most recently she has been working as head of developmentwith Alison Owen at Ruby Films and Gwyneth Paltrow at Go Go Pictures, ...

  • News

    Rotterdam festival names Dutch film premieres

    2004-12-20T00:00:00Z

    A raft of Dutch films will have their world premieresduring the upcoming International Film Festival Rotterdam (Jan 26-Feb 6)They are: Souls Of Naples (Zielen Van Napels) byVincent Monnikendam, Voorland by Eugenie Jansen, The Mystery Of TheSardine (Het Mysterie Van De Sardine) by Erik van Zuylen, CinemaInvisible: The Book (Cinema Invisible: ...

  • News

    Justice takes Taiwan doc festival top prize

    2004-12-21T04:00:00Z

    Dutch director Maria Ramos was awarded the grand prize atthe Taiwan International Documentary Festival (Dec 11-17) for herfeature-length film Justice about daily life in a Brazilian courtroom.The film, which follows four characters either working in orpassing through the Rio de Janeiro court, also picked up best documentary atthis year's Visions ...

  • News

    WBITD signs Nordic deal with Viasat Broadcasting

    2004-12-21T00:00:00Z

    Warner BrosInternational Television Distribution (WBITD) has signed a three-year deal withNordic media and telecommunications giant Modern Times Group's ViasatBroadcasting for the shared rights to a range of theatrical and televisiontitles.Under the termsof the deal Viasat gains rights to broadcast free-to-air television premieresof first-run titles in Swedish, Norwegian and Danish territories ...

  • News

    AVP approaches $80m for Fox International

    2004-12-21T00:00:00Z

    FoxInternational's action title Alien Vs Predator opened in its final major market of Japan at the weekend, rankingfourth on an estimated $2.9m on 380 screens.Thepicture's international running total now stands at $77.1m.Elsewhere,the distributor released the cartoon adaptation Garfield in China, where itgrossed $384,000 for an undisclosed rank. The international cumulative ...

  • News

    Tobis, Gaga to take Hannibal from UPI

    2000-04-18T20:28:00Z

    Universal Pictures International (UPI)'s newly-reconfigured overseas sales operation is close to finalising sales on Ridley Scott's Hannibal to Germany's Tobis and Japan's Gaga Communications.UPI, which is working closely with producer Dino De Laurentiis on selling certain territories, is also floating the Silence Of The Lambs sequel in several other markets. ...