You are viewing the archive: “61st Berlin Film Festival Deals”

Berlin Day 3: FilmNation Takes ‘Shelter’; ATO Buys ‘The Woman In the Fifth’

By TIM ADLER in London | Saturday February 12, 2011 @ 8:41am PSTTags: 61st Berlin Film Festival, 61st Berlin Film Festival Deals, Berlin Film Festival, Blue Lake Entertainment, Ethan Hawke, FilmNation, Jessica Chastain, John Carpenter, Michael Shannon, Movie Deals, Movies, Sony Pictures Classics, Take Shelter, The Ward

FilmNation has taken overseas rights to Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter, which Sony Pictures Classics bought early on at the Sundance Film Festival. Michael Shannon stars opposite Jessica Chastain as a man haunted by his dreams who obsessively starts building a storm shelter in his backyard. But what he can’t tell those closest to him is what he really is afraid his dreams signify. Ad Vitam has already come on board for France. FilmNation will begin selling in earnest at Cannes.

… ARC Entertainment and XLrator Media Partnership have also taken U.S. rights to John Carpenter’s The Ward, the cult director’s first feature since the late 90s. Amber Heard (Drive Angry 3D), Mamie Gummer (Off the Map) and Danielle Panabaker (Friday the 13th) star in this shocker set in a 60s mental institution terrorised by malevolent forces. Doug Mankoff, Andrew Spaulding of Echo Lake Entertainment (Tsotsi) produce along with Peter Block of A Bigger Boat. XLrator negotiated the deal with Cinetic Media’s John Sloss and Echo Lake’s Andy Spaulding. FilmNation is handling overseas.

… And Blue Lake Entertainment Fund, an “8-figure” fund launched by Echo Lake Entertainment and Canadian financier Blue Ice Entertainment, is to finance projects on the books of Paris-based sales agent Celluloid Dreams. Blue Lake will finance projects budgeted over $10 million by proven directors with global appeal. Celluloid Dreams has a reputation of being one of the toniest sales agents in Europe, having in the past worked with directors Michael Haneke, Jacques Audiard and Francois Ozon. Celluloid Dreams CEO Hengamah Panahi said: ”What the market needs more than anything is exceptional films. Good is no longer enough.”

… ATO has acquired North American rights to Pawel Pawlikowski’s The Woman In the Fifth from sales agent Memento Films International. Ethan Hawke plays a writer who comes to Paris to be closer to his young daughter who’s living with his French ex-wife. Then he gets involved with Kristin Scott Thomas’s beautiful, mysterious widow. ATO plans on releasing Film4 and UK Film Council backed project later this year.

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Berlin: The World Likes Tupac Shakur

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday February 11, 2011 @ 5:40pm PSTTags: 61st Berlin Film Festival, 61st Berlin Film Festival Deals, 61st Berlin International Film Festival, Movie Deals, Movies, Tupac Shakur
Mike Fleming

Morgan Creek Productions is doing well in selling offshore rights to Tupac, the biopic of rapper Tupac Shakur that will begin production by the summer with Antoine Fuqua directing. One might think a film about an American rapper who … Read More »

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Berlin: Weinstein, Icon Confirm Deal For Ralph Fiennes-Directed ‘Coriolanus’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday February 11, 2011 @ 11:45am PSTTags: 61st Berlin Film Festival, 61st Berlin Film Festival Deals, Berlin Film Festival, Coriolanus, Harvey Weinstein, Movie Deals, Movies, Ralph Fiennes
Mike Fleming

Deadline told you February 3 that The Weinstein Company was acquiring domestic distribution on the Ralph Fiennes-directed Coriolanus, and TWC and Icon International have just announced the deal. Here’s the official release:

New York, NY, February 11, 2011 –

… Read More »

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Berlin: ‘Saw’ Guy James Wan Scares Up 8-Picture Deal

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday February 11, 2011 @ 4:27am PSTTags: 61st Berlin Film Festival, 61st Berlin Film Festival Deals, Berlin Film Festival, Hugo Grumbar, Insidious Rights Sony, James Wan, Movie Deals, Movies, Saw Franchise
Mike Fleming

February 11, 2011 (Berlin, Germany) – Writer/Producer/Director James Wan has closed an eight (8) picture deal with the Icon Entertainment International (IEI), it was announced today by Wan and Hugo Grumbar, Managing Director (International) for Icon, at the Berlin Film Festival.

Wan who is best known for creating and directing

… Read More »

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Berlin Day 2: Strand Takes ‘Tyrannosaur’; Deepa Mehta Shoots ‘Midnight’s Children’

By TIM ADLER in London | Friday February 11, 2011 @ 4:24am PSTTags: 61st Berlin Film Festival, 61st Berlin Film Festival Deals, Berlin Film Festival, Deepa Mehta, Movie Deals, Movies, Paddy Considine, Tyrannosaur

Strand Releasing has taken U.S. rights to Paddy Considine’s feature debut Tyrannosaur from sales agent Protagonist. The film won 2 awards for directing and acting at Sundance following its premiere in Park City. Optimum Releasing has already picked Tyrannosaur up … Read More »

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Berlin: Magnolia Acquires ‘Point Blank’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday February 10, 2011 @ 9:46am PSTTags: 61st Berlin Film Festival, 61st Berlin Film Festival Deals, Berlin Film Festival, Fred Cavaye, Movie Deals, Movies
Mike Fleming

Magnolia Pictures has secured North American rights to the French thriller from Gaumont. It’s directed by Fred Cavayé and stars Gilles Lellouche as a man who races against time through Paris to save his pregnant, kidnapped wife. It also stars Roschdy Zem, Gerard Lanvin and Elena Anaya.

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