You are viewing the archive: “Emmett/Furla Films”

Cannes: Nic Cage Checks Into ‘Hotel 33′

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Friday May 10, 2013 @ 8:06pm PDTTags: Cannes Wrap-Up, Emmett/Furla Films, Foresight Unlimited, Nicolas Cage

UPDATE: While they were quick to announce Hotel 33 with Nicolas Cage, Foresight Unlimited has the benefit of hindsight and is backing off a bit. “We have learned that the deal with Nicolas Cage on Hotel 33 is not yet closed,” the company said in a statement tonight. “We therefore feel it is prudent to let the parties finalize their negotiations before we move forward with international representation of the film.”

Foresight Unlimited, Emmett/Furla Films and Envision Entertainment are gearing up with their third project together after 2 Guns and Lone Survivor. Described as a surreal thriller, Hotel 33 stars Nicolas Cage and is based on the presumed event surrounding the disappearance of 32 people on the opening night of the Grand Hotel in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1953. Cage plays a detective investigating the happenings when four teenagers break into the abandoned hotel and things go mysteriously awry as two of the kids disappear. First time feature helmer Kellie Madison wrote the script and will direct with production to start in September. Open Road is releasing in the U.S. and Foresight is selling international. Randall Emmett and George Furla are producers. Envision’s Remington Chase, Stepan Martirosyan and Vitaly Grigoriants, and Foresight’s Mark Damon are exec producers as is Malek Akkad.

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Martin Scorsese To Make Noise On ‘Silence’ At Cannes; Emmett/Furla Funding The Film

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday April 19, 2013 @ 12:32pm PDTTags: Cannes Film Festival, Emmett/Furla Films, Martin Scorsese, Silence
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Martin Scorsese will finally realize his long-held dream to direct Silence, an adaptation of the Shusaku Endo novel about 17th century Jesuits who risk their lives to bring Christianity to Japan. Financing for the film has been secured by Emmett/Furla Films and Paul Breuls and his Corsan Films. The plan is to shoot in Taiwan in July 2014, depending on cast, from a script by Jay Cocks and Scorsese.

I’m told that things are moving fast on this and that they are all making plans for Scorsese to come to Cannes and launch the picture. Talks are underway with Graham King for his ownership stake in the script. Numerous sales companies have been vying to handle foreign rights, but that task will fall to Len Blavatnik and Stuart Ford, who’ll jointly handle foreign on the film for Emmett/Furla through their respective Axis Films and IM Global.

The film will be produced by Irwin Winkler, Emmett and Furla, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Checchi Gori, and Barbara DeFina, with Niels Juul exec producing. Scorsese will jump into the film after he completes The Wolf Of Wall Street.

Scorsese has wanted to make Silence since 1991. He has gotten close numerous times, with actors like Daniel Day-Lewis, Benicio Del Toro and Gael Garcia Bernal among those mentioned over the years. But the pic has always gotten pushed, and there was even a lawsuit over how long it all took. Even that didn’t dampen Scorsese’s passion. It is not the easiest or most commercial project, but when a master like Scorsese is so passionate about a movie that it sticks with him more than 20 years, he’s going to find a way to make it, and now he has. He’s repped by WME and Rick Yorn. This is another big step for Emmett/Furla, which has films upcoming that include the Peter Berg-directed Lone Survivor and the Denzel Washington-Mark Wahlberg-starrer 2 Guns. Getting in business with Scorsese is a prestige play, and with the reticence of major studios to take big chances on proven filmmakers, it shows the opportunity for an indie company with backing and balls. Read More »

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Emmett/Furla Settles ‘Motor City’ Dispute With Financier Row 1

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday April 9, 2013 @ 1:24pm PDTTags: Emmett/Furla Films, Motor City, Row 1
Mike Fleming

When the Emmett/Furla Films-funded Motor City cratered just before production began, an arbitration petition was filed by film financing company Row 1, claiming it was owed $2.6 million, for pre-production financing. I’m told that dispute has been settled.

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Emmett/Furla Sued By Financier Over ‘Motor City’ Loan

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Thursday February 14, 2013 @ 9:55am PSTTags: Emmett/Furla Films, Lawsuit, Motor City

A film financing company claims Emmett/Furla Films owes it over $2.6 million for a loan for the now shuttered Motor City and it wants the courts to ensure it can get the cash back. In its Petition for Provisional Relief Pending Arbitration (read it here) filed Wednesday, Row 1 Entertainment says that it provided a short-term bridge loan to EFF last July for $1,735,000. The money was intended for pre-production financing for Motor City and was supposed to be paid back on October 9, 2012. However, EFF suspended production on Motor City on September 1 because of scheduling and release date hassles. The Albert Hughes directed project has not been resurrected, star Gerard Butler is going after EFF for pay-or-play money and Row 1 says despite repeated efforts it hasn’t gotten its dough.

Related: ‘Motor City’ Stalls Before Reaching Start Line: Crew Sent Home
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Hot Trailer: ‘Broken City’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Saturday December 15, 2012 @ 3:53pm PSTTags: Allen Hughes, Broken City, Emmett/Furla Films, Mark Wahlberg

Allen Hughes‘ first solo effort as a director stars Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Wahlberg plays an ex-cop and Russell Crowe is the mayor who double-crosses him. Zeta-Jones plays the mayor’s wife. Financed by Emmett/Furla Films, Broken City opens via Fox on January 18th: … Read More »

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‘Taken 2′ Helmer Olivier Megaton To Next Helm Emmett/Furla Thriller ‘Taking Gotham’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday December 13, 2012 @ 1:41pm PSTTags: Big Deals Film, Emmett/Furla Films, Olivier Megaton, Taking Gotham
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Hot off the hit sequel Taken 2, director Olivier Megaton has been set by Emmett/Furla Films to next helm the $60 million action thriller Taking Gotham. The Thomas Kelly-scripted film, based on actual events, is about a secret unit of the NYPD that was created in response to a string of brutal robberies in New York City. After a deadly sting operation, the elite unit is disavowed by the NYPD, forcing them to go deep underground in order to clear their names. Production will get underway next March. The film earlier had Brass Monkey helmer Nicolai Fuglsig attached, but it will be Megaton who directs this, and casting will begin immediately. Read More »

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Emmett-Furla & Arise Join Up For ‘Absence of War’

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Monday December 3, 2012 @ 12:00pm PSTTags: Emmett/Furla Films

EXCLUSIVE: Emmett/Furla Films and Arise Pictures have teamed up for Absence Of War. The companies will produce and finance the $20 million spy thriller, scheduled to start shooting in April 2013. Absence Of War will … Read More »

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Dolph Lundgren To Star In Emmett/Furla’s ‘Rescue 3′; Tribune Gives Show 2-Year Order

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday October 8, 2012 @ 4:34pm PDTTags: Dolph Lundgren, Emmett/Furla Films, Tribune Broadcasting
Nellie Andreeva

In his TV series debut, veteran action-movie actor Dolph Lundgren (The Expendables) has signed to star in Emmett/Furla Films & Tower 18 Prods.’ upcoming action-adventure drama series Rescue 3. Emmett/Furla Films, in conjunction with Envision Entertainment, is co-financing a full season of 20 episodes of Rescue 3 for a fall 2013 premiere.

Now the company has found an U.S. distributor in Tribune Broadcasting, which will launch Rescue 3 on its stations in primetime in fall 2013. Tribune has picked up the series with a massive two-year order with a 104-week guarantee. “We are very happy that first-run scripted programming is back in syndication,” said Sean Compton, President of Programming and Entertainment at Tribune. Indeed, Rescue 3 is a throwback to old times, when action-adventure series like Baywatch, Xena, Hercules and Andromeda heated up the syndication market. There have been no new entries in the genre since the end of Legend Of The Seeker two years ago. Tribune has been adventures with its pickups recently; the station group also is behind a new late-night talk show starring Arsenio Hall, also a genre that had disappeared from syndication. Read More »

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Emmett/Furla Pacts To Make Three Films Based On Hasbro Properties

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday October 4, 2012 @ 11:38am PDTTags: Battleship, Emmett/Furla Films, Hasbro
Mike Fleming

Emmett/Furla Films will finance and co-produce three films based on Hasbro properties in the next two years. The deal was announced today by co-founders Randall Emmett & George Furla and Hasbro’s Senior Vice President and head of Hasbro Films, Bennett Schneir. Emmett/Furla and Hasbro will co-produce with Brandon Grimes; Envision Entertainment’s Stepan Martisoyan and Remington Chase and Emmett/Furla will co-finance.  First up will be Monopoly, which they hope to get into production next year. Hasbro’s last overall deal was at Universal, which made Battleship with them. The studio scrapped plans to do several other Hasbro films, some of which have been set up elsewhere. Read More »

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TOLDJA! William Friedkin Negotiating To Helm Nic Cage In ‘I Am Wrath’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday October 1, 2012 @ 11:45am PDTTags: Emmett/Furla Films, I Am Wrath, Nicolas Cage, William Friedkin
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: When Deadline revealed in Toronto that Emmett/Furla Films had set Nicolas Cage for the action thriller I Am Wrath, we told you that William Friedkin was circling to direct the project. I’m hearing that Friedkin is pretty much committed to do the film. Friedkin, who has helmed some of the great action crime thrillers – To Live And Die In LA and The French Connection – will make this his follow-up to Killer Joe.

Following the murder of his wife, Stanley (Cage) finds that the police are unable to catch the perpetrators. He uncovers a thick plot of police corruption and realizes that he will have to find justice on his own. As he awakens to the level of degradation of the people sworn to serve and protect, we get a little Rage in the Cage as he becomes a vigilante out to destroy those who abuse their power. Paul Sloan wrote the script based on a story by Yvan Gauthier. Lionsgate will release domestically on a film that begins production in February. Emmett and Furla are producing with Cheetah Vision Films’ Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Grindstone’s Barry Brooker & Stan Wertlieb, Vallelonga Productions’ Nick Vallelonga, Richard Salvatore & David Omston. Read More »

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Emmett/Furla Sets Nicolai Fuglsig To Helm ‘Taking Gotham’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday September 13, 2012 @ 12:46pm PDTTags: Emmett/Furla Films, Nicolai Fuglsig, Taking Gotham
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Emmett/Furla Films partners Randall Emmett & George Furla have added another mid-budget thriller to their slate. They’ve set Brass Monkey helmer Nicolai Fuglsig to helm the $60 million action thriller Taking Gotham. The Thomas Kelly-scripted film, based … Read More »

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Toronto: Nicolas Cage Back With Emmett/Furla For ‘I Am Wrath’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday September 11, 2012 @ 10:00am PDTTags: Emmett/Furla Films, I Am Wrath, Nicolas Cage, Toronto Film Festival
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Emmett/Furla Films has set Nicolas Cage for the action thriller I Am Wrath. This comes after Cage starred with John Cusack and Vanessa Hudgens in The Frozen Ground for Emmett/Furla co-founders Randall Emmett and George Furla. William Friedkin, who knows his way around taut crime thrillers with films like To Live And Die In LA and The French Connection, is circling to make the film his follow to Killer Joe, I’m told. Paul Sloan wrote the script based on a story by Yvan Gauthier. Lionsgate will release the film domestically on a film that begins production in February.

Following the murder of his wife, Stanley (Cage) finds that the police are unable to catch the perpetrators. He uncovers a thick plot of police corruption and realizes that he will have to find justice on his own. As he awakens to the level of degradation of the people sworn to serve and protect, we get a little Rage in the Cage as he becomes a vigilante out to destroy those who abuse their power. Read More »

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Toronto: Emmett-Furla Acquires Action Film ‘Fair Trade’; Open Road In Talks To Distribute

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday September 7, 2012 @ 10:58am PDTTags: Emmett/Furla Films, Liam Neeson, Open Road, Toronto Film Festival
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Emmett/Furla Films co-founders Randall Emmett & George Furla have acquired Fair Trade, an action thriller that had been developed by Alcon Entertainment as a potential vehicle for Liam Neeson. They want Neeson, and while it isn’t immediately clear if the actor will star, Emmett/Furla will finance the film for a summer start in Pittsburgh. The film is based on the Serbian thriller The Trap. Ericson Core (Invincible) is directing a script by Matt Aldrich. Emmett/Furla is in final negotiations with Open Road Films for domestic distribution. The Open Road team is here in Toronto unveiling one of the fest’s hot titles, End Of Watch. That David Ayer-directed film stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena. Read More »

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Gerard Butler Drama ‘Motor City’ Stalls Before Reaching Start Line: Crew Sent Home

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Saturday September 1, 2012 @ 10:05am PDTTags: Albert Hughes, Emmett/Furla Films, Joel Silver, Motor City
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: The plug was pulled this morning on Motor City, the revenge drama that was scheduled to start production late this month with Albert Hughes directing and Gerard Butler, Mickey Rourke and Adrien Brody starring. The film was in … Read More »

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Tony Scott Got Close To Production On ‘Lucky Strike’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday August 21, 2012 @ 8:12am PDTTags: Emmett/Furla Films, Randall Emmett, Tony Scott
Mike Fleming

I just can’t get past the shock that Tony Scott passed away and won’t be practicing his kinetic style of film making anymore. The people who worked on projects with him and are left to pick up the pieces … Read More »

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‘Rescue 3′ Kicks Off New TV Division For Emmett/Furla Films

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday August 14, 2012 @ 10:06am PDTTags: Big Deals Film, Big Deals TV, Emmett/Furla Films, George Furla, Randall Emmett
Mike Fleming

BREAKING: Emmett/Furla Films, which has become an increasingly prolific backer of mid-budget feature films, has launched a TV production division. It kicks off with Rescue 3, a series set against the beautiful backdrop of Southern California’s world-famous beaches. Created … Read More »

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Liam Hemsworth & Dwayne Johnson In ‘Empire State’: First Photos

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday June 26, 2012 @ 5:25pm PDTTags: Dwayne Johnson, Emmett/Furla Films, Empire State, Liam Hemsworth

EXCLUSIVE: Here’s a first look at photos from the set of Empire State, the indie drama that stars Liam Hemsworth and Dwayne Johnson and tells the true story … Read More »

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Lionsgate Renews Slate Deal With Emmett/Furla Films

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday June 7, 2012 @ 5:22am PDTTags: Big Deals Film, Emmett/Furla Films, Lionsgate
Mike Fleming

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 7, 2012 — Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and its Grindstone Entertainment Group and Emmett/Furla Films, a prolific producer of filmed entertainment featuring some of the leading actors and filmmakers in the industry today, have renewed their slate deal for another 10 films and expanded their overall relationship, the companies announced today.

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Emmett / Furla Films Funding Silver Pictures Drama ‘Motor City’ With Gerard Butler

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday April 23, 2012 @ 5:24pm PDTTags: Albert Hughes, Emmett/Furla Films, Gerard Butler, Motor City
Mike Fleming

Gerard Butler Motor CityEXCLUSIVE: Emmett/Furla Films has stepped up and committed to fully finance Motor City, the Albert Hughes-directed action film that stars Gerard Butler as a man who is double crossed, and seeks revenge on the guy who put him behind bars and took his woman. Gary Oldman is aboard to play the villain, and Amber Heard the woman. The film, which has a budget north of $40 million, is now set to begin production in September through EFF and Silver Pictures. Joel Silver and Andrew Rona are producing for Silver Pictures, while Randall Emmett and George Furla board as producers for EFF, along with their funding partners, Envision Entertainment’s Stepan Martirosyan and Remington Chase. Brandon Grimes is coproducer. Warner Bros will distribute domestically, while foreign rights will be sold at Cannes by Mark Damon and Foresight. CAA reps domestic rights. Read More »

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