Festival De Cannes Digest
Thursday, May 13 2004
Published on AllBusiness.com
Bello, Bean in the 'Dark'
CANNES — Maria Bello and Sean Bean are toplining the feature "The Dark" for "Ginger Snaps" helmer John Fawcett and Impact Pictures. Impact is a division of Constantin Film, Germany's largest independent production and distribution unit. Summit Entertainment is handling worldwide rights on "Dark," which is based on the novel "Sheep," by Simon Maginn, and follows a young mother (Bello) and father (Bean) who lose their daughter in a drowning accident at an ancient site. The same night, a seemingly harmless young girl shows up at their remote farmhouse bearing remarkable similarities to their dead daughter. The feature will begin shooting next month, with locations slated for London and the Isle of Man.
First Look stalks Kotite's 'Kevin'
CANNES — First Look Media has made the moves on "Kevin Approaches," boarding Toni Kotite's dark comedy, which stars Guy Pearce, Laura Linney, Robert Carlyle, Minnie Driver and Christopher Walken. Under the deal, First Look will finance and executive produce the project, with First Look International handling foreign licensing, kicking off presales at the Festival de Cannes. "Kevin" stars Pearce as a loner who ventures out to seek love in New York only to wind up with success in the downtown art world. His roommate (Carlyle) is his darker counterpart who is addicted to spying on people in erotic sequences. In New York, he meets a collection of SoHo sophisticates who begin to disappear, entangling him in a lawless underworld. Domestic distribution rights are being repped by ICM International's Shaun Redick.
Jordan orbits 'Pluto'
CANNES — Veteran Irish director Neil Jordan is taking on Pedro Almodovar's penchant for making films centering on transvestites by unveiling Wednesday plans to shoot "Breakfast on Pluto." Jordan ("The Crying Game") will direct from his own script, based on the novel by Patrick McCabe. It details the story of Patrick Braden, an endearing, witty, clever and deceptively tough young transvestite. The product of a liaison between the parish priest and his housekeeper, Braden is abandoned as a baby and raised by a foster mother in the small Irish town of Tyreelyn. Rising star Cillian Murphy ("Batman Begins") has signed to star in the lead role as he journeys from small-town Ireland to London.
Echo Bridge bones up on 'Mortuary'
CANNES — Indie sales and distribution outfit Echo Bridge Entertainment has acquired all worldwide rights to Tobe Hooper's upcoming horror film "Mortuary." Penned by Jace Anderson and Adam Gierasch, casting is under way with a July start on the schedule and a winter 2005 release. "Mortuary" centers on the Fowler family, who moves to a small town in Massachusetts where they plan on starting a new life while running the long-abandoned Fowler Bros. Funeral Home. The locals fear the place, which is suspected to be on haunted ground.
Fortissimo sales for 'Super Size Me'
CANNES — Fortissimo Films has stacked up multiple territory deals on Morgan Spurlock's spicy fast-food documentary "Super Size Me," in which he spends 30 days eating only McDonald's food. It has signed agreements with Germany's ProKino, France's Diaphana and Japan's Klockworx. It has already sold to the United Kingdom (Tartan), Australia/New Zealand (Dendy Films) and Spain (ABL). Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn Films are handling the film in the United States.
CANNES — Maria Bello and Sean Bean are toplining the feature "The Dark" for "Ginger Snaps" helmer John Fawcett and Impact Pictures. Impact is a division of Constantin Film, Germany's largest independent production and distribution unit. Summit Entertainment is handling worldwide rights on "Dark," which is based on the novel "Sheep," by Simon Maginn, and follows a young mother (Bello) and father (Bean) who lose their daughter in a drowning accident at an ancient site. The same night, a seemingly harmless young girl shows up at their remote farmhouse bearing remarkable similarities to their dead daughter. The feature will begin shooting next month, with locations slated for London and the Isle of Man.
First Look stalks Kotite's 'Kevin'
CANNES — First Look Media has made the moves on "Kevin Approaches," boarding Toni Kotite's dark comedy, which stars Guy Pearce, Laura Linney, Robert Carlyle, Minnie Driver and Christopher Walken. Under the deal, First Look will finance and executive produce the project, with First Look International handling foreign licensing, kicking off presales at the Festival de Cannes. "Kevin" stars Pearce as a loner who ventures out to seek love in New York only to wind up with success in the downtown art world. His roommate (Carlyle) is his darker counterpart who is addicted to spying on people in erotic sequences. In New York, he meets a collection of SoHo sophisticates who begin to disappear, entangling him in a lawless underworld. Domestic distribution rights are being repped by ICM International's Shaun Redick.
Jordan orbits 'Pluto'
CANNES — Veteran Irish director Neil Jordan is taking on Pedro Almodovar's penchant for making films centering on transvestites by unveiling Wednesday plans to shoot "Breakfast on Pluto." Jordan ("The Crying Game") will direct from his own script, based on the novel by Patrick McCabe. It details the story of Patrick Braden, an endearing, witty, clever and deceptively tough young transvestite. The product of a liaison between the parish priest and his housekeeper, Braden is abandoned as a baby and raised by a foster mother in the small Irish town of Tyreelyn. Rising star Cillian Murphy ("Batman Begins") has signed to star in the lead role as he journeys from small-town Ireland to London.
Echo Bridge bones up on 'Mortuary'
CANNES — Indie sales and distribution outfit Echo Bridge Entertainment has acquired all worldwide rights to Tobe Hooper's upcoming horror film "Mortuary." Penned by Jace Anderson and Adam Gierasch, casting is under way with a July start on the schedule and a winter 2005 release. "Mortuary" centers on the Fowler family, who moves to a small town in Massachusetts where they plan on starting a new life while running the long-abandoned Fowler Bros. Funeral Home. The locals fear the place, which is suspected to be on haunted ground.
Fortissimo sales for 'Super Size Me'
CANNES — Fortissimo Films has stacked up multiple territory deals on Morgan Spurlock's spicy fast-food documentary "Super Size Me," in which he spends 30 days eating only McDonald's food. It has signed agreements with Germany's ProKino, France's Diaphana and Japan's Klockworx. It has already sold to the United Kingdom (Tartan), Australia/New Zealand (Dendy Films) and Spain (ABL). Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn Films are handling the film in the United States.
