Wild Bunch screened ten minutes of footage on Friday to buyers here and sent DVD copies of the Soderbergh's promo to US buyers who haven't made it to Berlin.
'They understand it is going to be an event film. Their reference was Apocalypse Now, Godfafther, The Thin Red Line,' Wild Bunch's Vincent Maraval said of buyers' response to the promo here in the EFM.
Maraval discounted rumours that the two Che Guevara movies, called The Argentine and Guerilla, could potentially bookend the Cannes Festival, as opening and closing films, but said that he is hoping for at least one of the films to be ready in time for Cannes.
Most territories are now closed on the two film-package. Among the many deals already done are with Warner Bros in France, Telecinco in Spain, Optimum in the UK, Bim in Italy, Sunfilm in Latin America, SPI in eastern Europe, Paradise in CIS and Eureka in Korea.
The major territories still available are Japan, Germany and the US. Asking price for Germany is said to be in the $6m region. 'It looked very realistic and convincing,' said one German buyer, who said he would not be pursuing the film further. 'But I think people prefer the legend of Che and not the truth.'
As for a sale to the US, Maraval said he was not in a hurry. 'We are not so sure if we want to close immediately (with the US),' he said. 'We will close if we have an exceptional offer. If not, we will not close. We know where they [the buyers] are. They know what we want.'
The Weinsteins have a close relationship with Soderbergh that encompasses sex, lies and videotape, Kafka and Full Frontal; Soderbergh has strong relationships with other studios Warner Bros and Universal.
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