Ray Liotta, Justin Chon (Twilight), and Harry Shum, Jr. (Glee) star in the 1990s NYC-set action crime drama that’s executive produced by Martin Scorsese and set to debut next month at the Toronto Film Festival. Revenge of the Green Dragons is helmed by Andrew Lau & Andrew Loo and was inspired by Frederick Dannen’s New Yorker article chronicling Asian-American gang life in Queens, NY. It’s a reunion of sorts for Lau and Scorsese after the latter remade Lau’s Hong Kong crime pic Infernal Affairs into his own Oscar-winning 2006 film The Departed. Pic tracks immigrant siblings Sonny (Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) who join Chinatown’s Green Dragons in pursuit of their own American Dream, only to find themselves at odds when Sonny turns against his brother and the organization.
Shuya Chang, Geoff Pierson, Billy Magnussen, and Eugenia Yuan also star. Michael Dijiacomo and Loo co-wrote the script...
Shuya Chang, Geoff Pierson, Billy Magnussen, and Eugenia Yuan also star. Michael Dijiacomo and Loo co-wrote the script...
- 8/13/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
Now that Sundance and Berlin are over, what do we have to look forward to? Cannes of course. However, in terms of continuing business, I want to put a spotlight on what to look forward to next Sundance (and Berlin) as an example of long lasting effects of filmmakers/ actors/ buyers and sellers. I will begin this depiction of a long journey beginning with my friend, Rodrigo Bellot -- writer, director, producer and casting agent . Rodrigo made his first film, Sexual Dependency, in 2003 with producers Ara Katz and Sam Engelbart who brought us on to find festival and international representation. Rigo was pleased with the work and we have become fast friends since then. When I first spoke with Rigo about We Are What We Are, he referred me to Memento, his international sales agent.
During Cannes 2012, I went to Memento to write more about this film which is the first remake in a long time of a film from Mexico, Somos lo que hay by Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau. At Memento, Tanja Meissner ♀ and Emilie Georges ♀ referred me to their American colleague and producer of the film, Nicholas Shumaker who gave me more of the film's history. During Afm 2011, Rodrigo and his professional partner Andrew D. Corkin who previously produced Martha Marcy May Marlene had come to Memento with the idea of remaking the English language version of this Mexican (Spanish language) film about a family of cannibals. They were, predictably, looking for financial partners. Memento said they would support the remake. They had wanted to work with the director Jim Mickle since seeing the Tiff 2010 Midnight Madness Audience Award winner, Stake Land which has become a cult vampire picture. Mickle has transposed the story to a poor part of the Catskills region in New York State. Memento sees the horror genre as an ambitious genre when it is created with good ideas, not exploitative but an elevated sort of horror, along the lines of Let the Right One In. Memento wants to do horror films only with directors and authors they like. It has taken seven years to establish their brand, and the principals Emilie Georges and Tanja Meissner are not looking for horror per se. They long for smart horror because there is a consistent market for intelligent horror stories. Their horror films will stand out for their buyers because of the director-driven aspect, not for the horror itself. Memento is putting together two other films with bigger budgets for Jim which will go over the next six to nine months. These next two, Night Hunter and Cold in July were announced during by Screen International around the time of Cannes 2012 and are both being produced with Linda Moran's ♀ and Rene Bastian's New York company Belladonna. To hear Jim Mickle speak about the use of Adobe technology in the making We Are What We Are, visit Adobe TV at Sundance. More on Mickle is in Screen. We Are What We Are will costar Ambyr Childers ♀ who was the milk skinned blonde in Gangster Squad and played Elizabeth Dodd in The Master, and Julia Garner ♀, who recently picked up rave reviews for her performance as a naïve Morman girl in Rebecca Thomas’ Electrik Children, a Berlinale 2012 hit. She will next be seen in Stephan Chobsky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower and is in StudioCanal’s The Last Exorcism 2. Film industry veteran Jack Turner is also producing. Mfi chief Emilie Georges and international sales head Tanja Meissner are executive producing alongside Mo Noorali and Linda Moran ♀ of Belladonna Productions, who previously produced Mickle’s other films, and Brett Fitzgerald. Mfi’s Nicholas Kaiser has a co-producer credit. We Are What We Are was shot in the Catskills, starting May 29, 2012 for a January 2013 delivery in time for its projected Sundance premier. With that intent, Mfi began carefully preselling the film, first at Berlin’s Efm 2011 where it was prebought by Entertainment One for U.K, Scandinavia, South Africa and France. Koch Media prebought Germany. New York and Los Angeles-based Three Point Capital and Hsbc provided additional funding. At Afm 2013, the film sold to Transformer for Japan and Zamie for So. Korea. Middle East is also been sold along with Turkey (Callinos Films). Memento's marketing and finance plan allowed for the U.S. to be sold during Sundance 2013 and as we all know now, (From Deadline Hollywood): "In a low seven-figure deal for U.S. rights, eOne acquired the Jim Mickle-directed We Are What We Are, which premiered last Friday at the Library Center Theatre in the Park City At Midnight section. The plot: a devastating storm washes up clues that lead authorities closer to unraveling the dark secrets of the Parker family, who are cannibals. That premise is Not treated as slasher fare, it’s far more stylish and the buyer crowd and audience at the premiere screening ate it up and feel they’ve found a director with a voice worth hearing. The film stars Ambyr Childers, Bill Sage, Julia Garner, Michael Parks, Wyatt Russell and Kelly McGillis. It has gotten strong reviews beyond the genre crowd, and it gives eOne a good theatrical offering. Deal was finished on the flight back to Los Angeles. I’ve heard both the Wme Global and eOne teams were on the same flight back from Park City. They haggled but by the time the plane landed, eOne hit the asks made by the agents, who denied this colorful story. Somehow, it fits with the frenzied pace of deals due to the influx of new buyers. eOne will put it out in a platform theatrical release." Since Cannes 2012, eOne acquired Alliance and is poised to make a very splashy release of this film. EOne had not pursued the film for U.S. until Sundance and the deal was verifiably finalized and upped on the plane as described above. Memento has consistent relations with its directors. It is now transitioning though natural growth into handling larger films. It will still handle about 8 films a year and it will maintain the same strategy, though films of second and third time directors will be larger. Memento still wants newcomers and so it has 2 divisions with Artscope aiming more for the festival circuit for new directors like Natalia Smirnoff ♀ of The Puzzle which premiered in '09 at San Sebastian and was picked up for U.S. by IFC, Circles (see my past blog), In the Name Of by Malgorzata Szumowska ♀ which won the 2013 Teddy Award for daring to “challenge the stereotypes of homosexuality versus religion with a personal story, told in a deeply humane way”. It was picked up in Berlin where it premiered in Competition by Film Movement, and Lore by Cate Shortland ♀.
During Cannes 2012, I went to Memento to write more about this film which is the first remake in a long time of a film from Mexico, Somos lo que hay by Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau. At Memento, Tanja Meissner ♀ and Emilie Georges ♀ referred me to their American colleague and producer of the film, Nicholas Shumaker who gave me more of the film's history. During Afm 2011, Rodrigo and his professional partner Andrew D. Corkin who previously produced Martha Marcy May Marlene had come to Memento with the idea of remaking the English language version of this Mexican (Spanish language) film about a family of cannibals. They were, predictably, looking for financial partners. Memento said they would support the remake. They had wanted to work with the director Jim Mickle since seeing the Tiff 2010 Midnight Madness Audience Award winner, Stake Land which has become a cult vampire picture. Mickle has transposed the story to a poor part of the Catskills region in New York State. Memento sees the horror genre as an ambitious genre when it is created with good ideas, not exploitative but an elevated sort of horror, along the lines of Let the Right One In. Memento wants to do horror films only with directors and authors they like. It has taken seven years to establish their brand, and the principals Emilie Georges and Tanja Meissner are not looking for horror per se. They long for smart horror because there is a consistent market for intelligent horror stories. Their horror films will stand out for their buyers because of the director-driven aspect, not for the horror itself. Memento is putting together two other films with bigger budgets for Jim which will go over the next six to nine months. These next two, Night Hunter and Cold in July were announced during by Screen International around the time of Cannes 2012 and are both being produced with Linda Moran's ♀ and Rene Bastian's New York company Belladonna. To hear Jim Mickle speak about the use of Adobe technology in the making We Are What We Are, visit Adobe TV at Sundance. More on Mickle is in Screen. We Are What We Are will costar Ambyr Childers ♀ who was the milk skinned blonde in Gangster Squad and played Elizabeth Dodd in The Master, and Julia Garner ♀, who recently picked up rave reviews for her performance as a naïve Morman girl in Rebecca Thomas’ Electrik Children, a Berlinale 2012 hit. She will next be seen in Stephan Chobsky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower and is in StudioCanal’s The Last Exorcism 2. Film industry veteran Jack Turner is also producing. Mfi chief Emilie Georges and international sales head Tanja Meissner are executive producing alongside Mo Noorali and Linda Moran ♀ of Belladonna Productions, who previously produced Mickle’s other films, and Brett Fitzgerald. Mfi’s Nicholas Kaiser has a co-producer credit. We Are What We Are was shot in the Catskills, starting May 29, 2012 for a January 2013 delivery in time for its projected Sundance premier. With that intent, Mfi began carefully preselling the film, first at Berlin’s Efm 2011 where it was prebought by Entertainment One for U.K, Scandinavia, South Africa and France. Koch Media prebought Germany. New York and Los Angeles-based Three Point Capital and Hsbc provided additional funding. At Afm 2013, the film sold to Transformer for Japan and Zamie for So. Korea. Middle East is also been sold along with Turkey (Callinos Films). Memento's marketing and finance plan allowed for the U.S. to be sold during Sundance 2013 and as we all know now, (From Deadline Hollywood): "In a low seven-figure deal for U.S. rights, eOne acquired the Jim Mickle-directed We Are What We Are, which premiered last Friday at the Library Center Theatre in the Park City At Midnight section. The plot: a devastating storm washes up clues that lead authorities closer to unraveling the dark secrets of the Parker family, who are cannibals. That premise is Not treated as slasher fare, it’s far more stylish and the buyer crowd and audience at the premiere screening ate it up and feel they’ve found a director with a voice worth hearing. The film stars Ambyr Childers, Bill Sage, Julia Garner, Michael Parks, Wyatt Russell and Kelly McGillis. It has gotten strong reviews beyond the genre crowd, and it gives eOne a good theatrical offering. Deal was finished on the flight back to Los Angeles. I’ve heard both the Wme Global and eOne teams were on the same flight back from Park City. They haggled but by the time the plane landed, eOne hit the asks made by the agents, who denied this colorful story. Somehow, it fits with the frenzied pace of deals due to the influx of new buyers. eOne will put it out in a platform theatrical release." Since Cannes 2012, eOne acquired Alliance and is poised to make a very splashy release of this film. EOne had not pursued the film for U.S. until Sundance and the deal was verifiably finalized and upped on the plane as described above. Memento has consistent relations with its directors. It is now transitioning though natural growth into handling larger films. It will still handle about 8 films a year and it will maintain the same strategy, though films of second and third time directors will be larger. Memento still wants newcomers and so it has 2 divisions with Artscope aiming more for the festival circuit for new directors like Natalia Smirnoff ♀ of The Puzzle which premiered in '09 at San Sebastian and was picked up for U.S. by IFC, Circles (see my past blog), In the Name Of by Malgorzata Szumowska ♀ which won the 2013 Teddy Award for daring to “challenge the stereotypes of homosexuality versus religion with a personal story, told in a deeply humane way”. It was picked up in Berlin where it premiered in Competition by Film Movement, and Lore by Cate Shortland ♀.
- 2/21/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
One of my favorite international sales agent is Memento. I wrote of them last year (See blog). Now they are representing the film of one of my favorite people in the biz, the hyphenate director-producer-writer who also was put into the role of casting director by Steve Soderbergh while casting Che.
Rodrigo (Rigo to his friends) Bellot began his career's path from his native Bolivia to U.S. with Sexual Dependency, produced by Ara Katz (Howard Zinn doc The People Speak and George Romero's Survival of the Dead).
Screen Daily recently announced Memento and Rigo's upcoming picture, We Are What We Are, a picture that actors Riley Keogh and Julia Garner will be sinking their teeth into as two sisters forced into cannibalism by their father. Read the article which is full of interesting tidbits, such as the factthat Riley Keough is the granddaughter of Elvis Presley and she has plenty of fat and juicy roles lined up already.
Memento Films International (Mfi) describes We Are What We Are as a "re-imagination" of Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau’s Somo Lo Que Hay (U.S. IFC) about a family of cannibals in Mexico City.
The director, Jim Mickle, best known for his cult vampire picture Stake Land which won Toronto’s Midnight Madness sidebar in 2010, has transposed the story to a poor part of the Catskills region in New York State.
Principal photography will begin in the Catskills on May 29. The picture will wrap the first week of July with delivery slated for January of 2013, just in time for Sundance, Rotterdam and Berlin.
Mfi has already presold the project at Berlin’s Efm to E1/ Artificial Eye for the U.K. , Canada, France, Scandinavia and South Africa. Cinema Mondo prebought the film for Finland; Koch Media and Alamode have German rights, Cinefil has Hungary, Canana has Mexico, Calinos has Turkey.
A real winner as is Memento itself and Rigo too!
Memento is a select arthouse company for high-profile, director-driven independent films. They choose only 8 projects a year and offer tailor–made synergies and business expertise through four companies; from production (Memento Films Production & La Cinefacture), International Sales (Memento Films International) to French distribution (Memento Films Distribution), according to the specific needs of each project. They have recently worked with renowned and award-winning filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola, Laurent Cantet, Emanuele Crialese, Hiner Saleem, Jia Zhang-ke, Ramin Bahrani, Gilles Marchand, Julie Bertuccelli, Aditya Assarat, Pawel Pawlikowski and Olivier Assayas.
Memento's young and dynamic team is devoted to promoting the projects with a maximum of commitment, rather than merely selling. Whether it is high-end arthouse fare with a medium-sized budget or cutting-edge low-budget projects from emerging talents, they value originality, whether narrative or the cinematographic vision of the director.
You can see Memento's Cannes lineup on Cinando. Look for them in Cannes at 25 la Croisette - Bagatelle. Or call them at 33 4 93 38 68 19.
Rodrigo (Rigo to his friends) Bellot began his career's path from his native Bolivia to U.S. with Sexual Dependency, produced by Ara Katz (Howard Zinn doc The People Speak and George Romero's Survival of the Dead).
Screen Daily recently announced Memento and Rigo's upcoming picture, We Are What We Are, a picture that actors Riley Keogh and Julia Garner will be sinking their teeth into as two sisters forced into cannibalism by their father. Read the article which is full of interesting tidbits, such as the factthat Riley Keough is the granddaughter of Elvis Presley and she has plenty of fat and juicy roles lined up already.
Memento Films International (Mfi) describes We Are What We Are as a "re-imagination" of Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau’s Somo Lo Que Hay (U.S. IFC) about a family of cannibals in Mexico City.
The director, Jim Mickle, best known for his cult vampire picture Stake Land which won Toronto’s Midnight Madness sidebar in 2010, has transposed the story to a poor part of the Catskills region in New York State.
Principal photography will begin in the Catskills on May 29. The picture will wrap the first week of July with delivery slated for January of 2013, just in time for Sundance, Rotterdam and Berlin.
Mfi has already presold the project at Berlin’s Efm to E1/ Artificial Eye for the U.K. , Canada, France, Scandinavia and South Africa. Cinema Mondo prebought the film for Finland; Koch Media and Alamode have German rights, Cinefil has Hungary, Canana has Mexico, Calinos has Turkey.
A real winner as is Memento itself and Rigo too!
Memento is a select arthouse company for high-profile, director-driven independent films. They choose only 8 projects a year and offer tailor–made synergies and business expertise through four companies; from production (Memento Films Production & La Cinefacture), International Sales (Memento Films International) to French distribution (Memento Films Distribution), according to the specific needs of each project. They have recently worked with renowned and award-winning filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola, Laurent Cantet, Emanuele Crialese, Hiner Saleem, Jia Zhang-ke, Ramin Bahrani, Gilles Marchand, Julie Bertuccelli, Aditya Assarat, Pawel Pawlikowski and Olivier Assayas.
Memento's young and dynamic team is devoted to promoting the projects with a maximum of commitment, rather than merely selling. Whether it is high-end arthouse fare with a medium-sized budget or cutting-edge low-budget projects from emerging talents, they value originality, whether narrative or the cinematographic vision of the director.
You can see Memento's Cannes lineup on Cinando. Look for them in Cannes at 25 la Croisette - Bagatelle. Or call them at 33 4 93 38 68 19.
- 5/3/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Rodrigo Bellott first came to our attention in 2003 when producer Ara Katz, retained our services to create the best strategy for finding international and domestic distribution for Rodrigo's debut feature Sexual Dependency, a La Ronde type film which begain in a small town in his native Bolivia to New York City. Since then, Rigo has produced and or directed 4 features. When Steven Soderbergh was casting Che, he came to Rodrigo for help and afterward encouraged him to create a casting company which has served the industry very well as the first such company in Bolivia if not in…...
- 7/6/2010
- Sydney's Buzz
Following in the great tradition of George A. Romero’s …Of The Dead films, comes the latest iteration of Romero’s zombie vision courtesy of Reverb Games – App of the Dead. From the official press release:
George A. Romero, the undisputed master of horror cinema (“Night of the Living Dead”, “Dawn of the Dead”, “Creepshow”, “Monkey Shines”, “Diary of the Dead”), today announced with partner, Peter Grunwald, and Artfire Films’ Art Spigel and Ara Katz, that App of the Dead, developed with Ohio-based Additive Interactive, will make its fiendish debut on Apple® iPhone™ and iPod® Touch in the coming weeks.
In anticipation of Romero’s latest feature, “George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead”, premiering in theaters May 28, App of the Dead makes you the director, allowing you to turn your friends and family into the most twisted, ghoulish shufflers. Take pictures or import photos from existing galleries and...
George A. Romero, the undisputed master of horror cinema (“Night of the Living Dead”, “Dawn of the Dead”, “Creepshow”, “Monkey Shines”, “Diary of the Dead”), today announced with partner, Peter Grunwald, and Artfire Films’ Art Spigel and Ara Katz, that App of the Dead, developed with Ohio-based Additive Interactive, will make its fiendish debut on Apple® iPhone™ and iPod® Touch in the coming weeks.
In anticipation of Romero’s latest feature, “George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead”, premiering in theaters May 28, App of the Dead makes you the director, allowing you to turn your friends and family into the most twisted, ghoulish shufflers. Take pictures or import photos from existing galleries and...
- 5/15/2010
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Looking for a little more traditional zombie killing mayhem on your mobile phone? Well, you're not going to have to wait much longer as Reverb Games is getting set to bring you George A. Romero's App of the Dead!
From the Press Release
George A. Romero, the undisputed master of horror cinema (“Night of the Living Dead”, “Dawn of the Dead”, “Creepshow”, “Monkey Shines”, “Diary of the Dead”), today announced with partner, Peter Grunwald, and Artfire Films’ Art Spigel and Ara Katz, that App of the Dead, developed with Ohio-based Additive Interactive, will make its fiendish debut on Apple® iPhone™ and iPod® Touch in the coming weeks.
In anticipation of Romero’s latest feature, “George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead”, premiering in theaters May 28, App of the Dead makes you the director, allowing you to turn your friends and family into the most twisted, ghoulish shufflers. Take...
From the Press Release
George A. Romero, the undisputed master of horror cinema (“Night of the Living Dead”, “Dawn of the Dead”, “Creepshow”, “Monkey Shines”, “Diary of the Dead”), today announced with partner, Peter Grunwald, and Artfire Films’ Art Spigel and Ara Katz, that App of the Dead, developed with Ohio-based Additive Interactive, will make its fiendish debut on Apple® iPhone™ and iPod® Touch in the coming weeks.
In anticipation of Romero’s latest feature, “George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead”, premiering in theaters May 28, App of the Dead makes you the director, allowing you to turn your friends and family into the most twisted, ghoulish shufflers. Take...
- 5/14/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Check out 4 new clips from VitaGraph Films' "Paper Man" starring Jeff Daniels, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Lisa Kudrow, Kieran Culkin and Hunter Parish. Michelle and Kieran Mulroney-directed and written comedy drama opens April 23rd in limited areas. Guymon Casady, Richard Gladstein, Art Spigel and Ara Katz produce. The film is rated R for language and a scene of sexuality. "Paper Man" is an inspirational comedic drama about an unlikely friendship between Richard (Jeff Daniels), a failed middle-aged novelist who has never quite grown up and Abby (Emma Stone), a 17-year-old girl whose role in a family tragedy years earlier has stolen away her youth. Both are unsure, both are afraid to take firm steps forward, and both are looking for that special friend—that connection—to help guide them into the future. Since his childhood, Richard has mostly relied on the imaginary one that resides in his head—a...
- 4/21/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Mpi Media Group has acquired North American rights to Michele and Kieran Mulroney's comedy-drama "Paper Man," starring Jeff Daniels, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone and Lisa Kudrow.
"Man" features Daniels as a blocked writer, who converses with an imaginary superhero, played by Reynolds, and who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Long Island teenager, played by Stone.
The film was produced by FilmColony's Richard Gladstein, Film 360's Guymon Casady and Artfire Films' Art Spigel and Ara Katz, who fully financed the production. Executive producers include Dan Fireman of Fireman Capital Partners, and partner in Artfire, and Darin Friedman of Film 360.
It is a co-production of FilmColony; Film 360, the production division of Management 360; and Artfire Films.
A late spring theatrical release is planned.
The distribution deal was negotiated by Greg Newman, executive vp of Mpi Media Group and Dina Kuperstock of CAA.
"Man" features Daniels as a blocked writer, who converses with an imaginary superhero, played by Reynolds, and who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Long Island teenager, played by Stone.
The film was produced by FilmColony's Richard Gladstein, Film 360's Guymon Casady and Artfire Films' Art Spigel and Ara Katz, who fully financed the production. Executive producers include Dan Fireman of Fireman Capital Partners, and partner in Artfire, and Darin Friedman of Film 360.
It is a co-production of FilmColony; Film 360, the production division of Management 360; and Artfire Films.
A late spring theatrical release is planned.
The distribution deal was negotiated by Greg Newman, executive vp of Mpi Media Group and Dina Kuperstock of CAA.
- 1/25/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, has acquired U.S. rights to "George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead" and will release it in the spring through its Ultra VOD program, debuting it on video-on-demand platforms nationwide a month before it opens theatrically.
Written and directed by Romero, the filmmaker's latest zombie film played this year at the Venice and Toronto film festivals.
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia senior vp Tom Quinn with Victoria Cook for Cinetic Media on behalf of Art Spigel and Ara Katz of Artfire Films and Peter Grunwald of Romero-Grunwald Prods.
Written and directed by Romero, the filmmaker's latest zombie film played this year at the Venice and Toronto film festivals.
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia senior vp Tom Quinn with Victoria Cook for Cinetic Media on behalf of Art Spigel and Ara Katz of Artfire Films and Peter Grunwald of Romero-Grunwald Prods.
- 12/20/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
U.S. rights to George A. Romero’s zombie feature “George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead” have been picked up by Magnolia Pictures’ genre label Magnet Releasing. bowed at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals earlier this year. Magnolia’s Svp Tom Quinn negotiated the pact with Victoria Cook for Cinetic Media, on behalf of Art Spigel and Ara Katz of Artfire Films and Peter Grunwald of Romero-Grunwald Productions. Magnet will release the …...
- 12/18/2009
- Indiewire
One of the revelations in the earlier announcement of titles for this year's Toronto International Film Fest is that George A. Romero's ...Of The Dead has an official title.
Survival Of The Dead will make it's World Premiere at the Festival as a part of it's Midnight Madness Screenings (see the full announcement here), and thanks to the festival website (currently down for maintenance, but promising a relaunch tomorrow), we've got several new pics and additional details to share.
George A. Romero'S Survival Of The Dead
Production Company: Blank of the Dead Productions Inc.
Executive Producer: Peter Grunwald, Art Spigel, Dan Fireman, Ara Katz, Michael Doherty, DJ Carson, Bryan Gliserman
Producer: Paula Devonshire
Screenplay: George A. Romero
Production Designer: Arv Greywal
Cinematographer: Adam Swica
Editor: Michael Doherty
Sound: Stephen Barden, Jill Purdy
Music: Robert Carli
Principal Cast: Alan Van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh, Devon Bostick, Kathleen Munroe, Richard Fitzpatrick...
Survival Of The Dead will make it's World Premiere at the Festival as a part of it's Midnight Madness Screenings (see the full announcement here), and thanks to the festival website (currently down for maintenance, but promising a relaunch tomorrow), we've got several new pics and additional details to share.
George A. Romero'S Survival Of The Dead
Production Company: Blank of the Dead Productions Inc.
Executive Producer: Peter Grunwald, Art Spigel, Dan Fireman, Ara Katz, Michael Doherty, DJ Carson, Bryan Gliserman
Producer: Paula Devonshire
Screenplay: George A. Romero
Production Designer: Arv Greywal
Cinematographer: Adam Swica
Editor: Michael Doherty
Sound: Stephen Barden, Jill Purdy
Music: Robert Carli
Principal Cast: Alan Van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh, Devon Bostick, Kathleen Munroe, Richard Fitzpatrick...
- 7/21/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
- Fangoria
George A. Romero has finally filled in the blank at the beginning of the title of his latest zombie-filled tale of corpses and carnage. ... of the Dead is now being called Survival of the Dead, and it will be playing at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.
From the press release
Legendary filmmaker George A. Romero ended the chorus of fan speculation today by announcing the title of his latest film, George A. Romero’S Survival Of The Dead, which he had jokingly been calling ’Blank’ Of The Dead since production began late last year.
The film will premiere at the prestigious 2009 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the celebrated “Midnight Madness” series, spotlighting the ten best new horror movies from around the world.
“We’re overjoyed to welcome George back into the dark hallowed halls of Midnight Madness,” says International Programmer Colin Geddes. “And on a personal note,...
From the press release
Legendary filmmaker George A. Romero ended the chorus of fan speculation today by announcing the title of his latest film, George A. Romero’S Survival Of The Dead, which he had jokingly been calling ’Blank’ Of The Dead since production began late last year.
The film will premiere at the prestigious 2009 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the celebrated “Midnight Madness” series, spotlighting the ten best new horror movies from around the world.
“We’re overjoyed to welcome George back into the dark hallowed halls of Midnight Madness,” says International Programmer Colin Geddes. “And on a personal note,...
- 7/21/2009
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Michele and Kieran Mulroney's "Paper Man" has been selected to serve as the opening night film at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival, which kicks off June 18 at the Mann Village Theater in Westwood.
A genuine indie -- the film hasn't yet been picked up for distribution -- "Paper" stars Jeff Daniels has a middle-aged writer, dealing with both the demands of his wife (Lisa Kudrow) and an imaginary superhero (Ryan Reynolds), who strikes up a friendship with a teenager played by Emma Stone.
A husband-and-wife team, the Mulroneys wrote the feature, which marks their directorial debut. Their other writing projects include Warner Bros.' "Justice League."
The project was produced by Richard Gladstein through his FilmColony, Guymon Casady through his Film 360, and Art Spigel and Ara Katz through their Artfire Films, who also fully financed the production. Exec producers include Dan Fireman from Artfire and Fireman Capital Partners, and...
A genuine indie -- the film hasn't yet been picked up for distribution -- "Paper" stars Jeff Daniels has a middle-aged writer, dealing with both the demands of his wife (Lisa Kudrow) and an imaginary superhero (Ryan Reynolds), who strikes up a friendship with a teenager played by Emma Stone.
A husband-and-wife team, the Mulroneys wrote the feature, which marks their directorial debut. Their other writing projects include Warner Bros.' "Justice League."
The project was produced by Richard Gladstein through his FilmColony, Guymon Casady through his Film 360, and Art Spigel and Ara Katz through their Artfire Films, who also fully financed the production. Exec producers include Dan Fireman from Artfire and Fireman Capital Partners, and...
- 5/28/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hunter Parrish has joined the cast of "Paper Man." The dramedy is helmed and written by duo Michelle and Kieran Mulroney.The film follows thes the unlikely friendship between a failed author (played by Jeff Daniels) and a high school girl from Long Island which Emma Stone will play. She apparently teaches him all about growing up whilst his disapproving wife looks on as well as an imaginary friend who is a superhero. Parrish is in to play the girl's 18-year-old boyfriend and the cast will include Lisa Kudrow as well as Ryan Reynolds. Producing from FilmColony is Richard Gladstein, Art Spigel and Ara Katz from Artfire and from Film 360 Guymon Casady. Production started last week in N.Y.
- 12/2/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Hunter Parrish, one of the stars of the Broadway musical "Spring Awakening," has joined the cast of Michelle and Kieran Mulroney's "Paper Man."
The coming-of-middle-age comedy chronicles the unlikely friendship between a failed author (Jeff Daniels) and a Long Island high school girl (Emma Stone) who teaches him about growing up, all under the disapproving eye of his long-suffering wife and imaginary superhero friend.
Parrish will play the girl's 18-year-old working-class boyfriend.
The cast also includes Ryan Reynolds and Lisa Kudrow.
Producing are FilmColony's Richard Gladstein; Guymon Casady of Film 360, the film production arm of Management 360; and Artfire's Art Spigel and Ara Katz. Production began last week in New York.
Parrish, repped by Endeavor and Management 360, is onstage as Melchior in "Spring Awakening," which last year won the Tony for best musical. Onscreen, he will appear opposite Zac Efron in "17 Again" and stars on Showtime's "Weeds."...
The coming-of-middle-age comedy chronicles the unlikely friendship between a failed author (Jeff Daniels) and a Long Island high school girl (Emma Stone) who teaches him about growing up, all under the disapproving eye of his long-suffering wife and imaginary superhero friend.
Parrish will play the girl's 18-year-old working-class boyfriend.
The cast also includes Ryan Reynolds and Lisa Kudrow.
Producing are FilmColony's Richard Gladstein; Guymon Casady of Film 360, the film production arm of Management 360; and Artfire's Art Spigel and Ara Katz. Production began last week in New York.
Parrish, repped by Endeavor and Management 360, is onstage as Melchior in "Spring Awakening," which last year won the Tony for best musical. Onscreen, he will appear opposite Zac Efron in "17 Again" and stars on Showtime's "Weeds."...
- 12/2/2008
- by By Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
George A. Romero is hard at work on a new untitled zombie picture, according to Variety. Though long speculated to be working on a sequel to his recent Diary of the Dead, all signs indicate that this upcoming feature is more in line with his previous Dead efforts.
The film "involves inhabitants of an isolated island off the North American coast who find their relatives rising from the dead to eat their kin. The leaders of the island feud over whether or not to kill their reanimated relatives or preserve them in hopes of finding a cure."
Just like a zombie invasion that you don't see coming until it's too late, Romero's actually already deep into filming this new project. The film is fully cast, including Alan Van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh, Kathleen Munroe and others. Paula Devonshire is producing, while Peter Grunwald, D.J. Carson, Ara Katz and Art Spigel are executive producing alongside Romero.
The film "involves inhabitants of an isolated island off the North American coast who find their relatives rising from the dead to eat their kin. The leaders of the island feud over whether or not to kill their reanimated relatives or preserve them in hopes of finding a cure."
Just like a zombie invasion that you don't see coming until it's too late, Romero's actually already deep into filming this new project. The film is fully cast, including Alan Van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh, Kathleen Munroe and others. Paula Devonshire is producing, while Peter Grunwald, D.J. Carson, Ara Katz and Art Spigel are executive producing alongside Romero.
- 10/3/2008
- by Josh Wigler
- Comicmix.com
Although George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead won't be released until next year, Artfire Films and Romero-Grunwald Prods. have greenlighted a sequel that Romero will direct from his screenplay.
The instant sequel, which will be offered at the American Film Market, will pick up where the first film ends. Fighting their way out of a mansion through a horde of ravenous zombies, the survivors of Diary escape to a remote island only to be plunged into another battle with the dead.
Principal photography is set to begin in the spring.
Romero-Grunwald's Peter Grunwald will produce with Artfire Films' Artur Spigel and Ara Katz. Dan Fireman of Artfire and Sam Englebardt will serve as executive producers. Voltage Pictures and Cinetic Media will oversee foreign and domestic sales, respectively, for the Artfire/RGP alliance.
Diary premiered at September's Toronto International Film Festival, where Cinetic sold North American and Mexican rights to the Weinstein Co.
The instant sequel, which will be offered at the American Film Market, will pick up where the first film ends. Fighting their way out of a mansion through a horde of ravenous zombies, the survivors of Diary escape to a remote island only to be plunged into another battle with the dead.
Principal photography is set to begin in the spring.
Romero-Grunwald's Peter Grunwald will produce with Artfire Films' Artur Spigel and Ara Katz. Dan Fireman of Artfire and Sam Englebardt will serve as executive producers. Voltage Pictures and Cinetic Media will oversee foreign and domestic sales, respectively, for the Artfire/RGP alliance.
Diary premiered at September's Toronto International Film Festival, where Cinetic sold North American and Mexican rights to the Weinstein Co.
- 10/31/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
More Toronto fest news
Toronto fest reviews
TORONTO -- The dead have risen. In a sale that once seemed as slow as a zombie, Weinstein Co. stepped up and bought North American and Mexican rights to "George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead" for $2 million-$2.5 million.
The latest sequel to Romero's 1968 horror classic "Night of the Living Dead" closed Tuesday night after several offers were considered, including some for video-only distribution. The Weinstein Co. deal includes a theatrical commitment.
While R-rated horror movies didn't perform well at the boxoffice earlier this summer, the Weinstein Co.'s "Halloween", released by MGM, bucked the trend with a record-breaking Labor Day opening. "Dead" premiered late Saturday in the Midnight Madness section at Toronto and spooked out crowds.
The Artfire Films/Romero-Grunwald Prods. film was written and directed by Romero, produced by Peter Grunwald, Art Spigel, Sam Englebardt and Ara Katz, and executive produced by Dan Fireman, John Harrison and Steve Barnett.
Cinetic Media repped the filmmakers in the sale.
Toronto fest reviews
TORONTO -- The dead have risen. In a sale that once seemed as slow as a zombie, Weinstein Co. stepped up and bought North American and Mexican rights to "George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead" for $2 million-$2.5 million.
The latest sequel to Romero's 1968 horror classic "Night of the Living Dead" closed Tuesday night after several offers were considered, including some for video-only distribution. The Weinstein Co. deal includes a theatrical commitment.
While R-rated horror movies didn't perform well at the boxoffice earlier this summer, the Weinstein Co.'s "Halloween", released by MGM, bucked the trend with a record-breaking Labor Day opening. "Dead" premiered late Saturday in the Midnight Madness section at Toronto and spooked out crowds.
The Artfire Films/Romero-Grunwald Prods. film was written and directed by Romero, produced by Peter Grunwald, Art Spigel, Sam Englebardt and Ara Katz, and executive produced by Dan Fireman, John Harrison and Steve Barnett.
Cinetic Media repped the filmmakers in the sale.
- 9/12/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Being in Paris is to be inside a work of art, and it is no surprise that in the charming collection of vignettes that make up Paris je t'aime, the art is love. This is a Paris where Oscar Wilde can reappear beside his grave at Pere Lachaise to give squabbling lovers a sense of humor. A vampire may pounce on an unsuspecting backpacker in the Madeleine. A cowboy on horseback can bring a grieving mother back to her family. A paramedic may fall in love with her bleeding patient.
Love in all its weird and wonderful forms is the subject of 18 short films made by an assortment of international directors who bring individual vision to a collective love letter to the French capital. Most of the directors have written their own pieces, and they range from whimsical to romantic, to dramatic and tragic.
With many familiar faces including Juliette Binoche, Fanny Ardant, Natalie Portman, Nick Nolte, Steve Buscemi, Bob Hoskins and Gena Rowlands, the film is necessarily uneven but has an overall winning charm and can expect a warm reception in art houses around the world.
Buscemi and Coen brothers completists will not want to miss their hilarious tale of an American tourist on the Metro stop at the Tuileries learning firsthand how accurate his guidebook is. Forget The Da Vinci Code -- anyone who sees this film will never look at Mona Lisa's smile again without thinking of the matchless Buscemi.
An offbeat sense of humor is established from the opening story, subtitled Montmartre, in which a frustrated young man (writer-director Bruno Podalydes) struggles to find a parking spot only to spend the time parked complaining aloud about why he can't find a girlfriend.
Then a lovely young woman (Florence Muller) faints beside his car. It's Paris.
Writer-director Gurinder Chadha spends a few minutes showing how a young man (Cyril Descours) can learn more from a modest hijab-wearing young woman (Leila Bekhti) than from his leering buddies.
Isabel Coixet manages to find great humor in a story of a failed love affair given new life after one of the lovers (Miranda Richardson) is diagnosed with terminal leukemia, while Oliver Schmitz's new paramedic (Aissa Maiga) learns how fleeting love can be while treating a stab victim (Seydou Boro).
Several sequences begin with misdirection so that Nolte's May-December romance turns out to be not that at all, while Hoskins and Ardant's strip club encounter involves more than a little planned artifice. Tom Tykwer's tale of an actress (Portman) trying to break off her affair with a blind linguist (Melchior Besion) also holds a surprise. Sylvain Chomet's item involving mimes is pleasingly self-mocking, and Alexander Payne's narrative of a Denver matron (Margo Martindale) visiting the city to improve her halting French begins in sarcasm and ends in sympathy.
Binoche grieves for her dead son in Nobuhiro Suwa's parable about a cowboy (Willem Defoe) who rides the midnight streets of Paris to ease her pain. Director Barbet Schroeder has fun along with Li Xin in a wacky musical fantasy by Christopher Doyle. Wes Craven naturally gravitates to a graveyard for his oddball contribution involving Wilde.
The cinematography is varied and wonderful. Pierre Adenot's music fits the bill, and there's a great waltz at the end with English adaptation by Oscar-winning lyricist Will Jennings.
PARIS JE T'AIME
Victoires International in association with Arrival Cinema
Credits:
Directors: Bruno Podalydes
Gurinder Chadha, Gus Van Sant, Joel and Ethan Coen, Walter Salles & Daniela Thomas, Christopher Doyle, Isabel Coixet, Nobuhiro Suwa, Sylvain Chomet, Alfonso Cuaron, Olivier Assayas, Oliver Schmitz, Richard LaGravenese, Vincenzo Natali, Wes Craven, Tom Tykwer, Frederic Auburtin & Gerard Depardieu, Alexander Payne
Producers: Claudie Ossard & Emmanuel Benbihy
Co-producer: Burkhard Von Schenk
Executive producers: Chris Bolzli, Gilles Caussade, Sam Englebardt, Ara Katz, Chad Troutwine, Frank Moss, Rafi Chaudry
Original idea: Tristan Carne
Concept: Emmanuel Benbihy
Production designer: Bettina von den Steinen
Editing supervisors: Simon Jacquet, Frederic Auburtin
Original music: Pierre Adenot
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 120 minutes...
Love in all its weird and wonderful forms is the subject of 18 short films made by an assortment of international directors who bring individual vision to a collective love letter to the French capital. Most of the directors have written their own pieces, and they range from whimsical to romantic, to dramatic and tragic.
With many familiar faces including Juliette Binoche, Fanny Ardant, Natalie Portman, Nick Nolte, Steve Buscemi, Bob Hoskins and Gena Rowlands, the film is necessarily uneven but has an overall winning charm and can expect a warm reception in art houses around the world.
Buscemi and Coen brothers completists will not want to miss their hilarious tale of an American tourist on the Metro stop at the Tuileries learning firsthand how accurate his guidebook is. Forget The Da Vinci Code -- anyone who sees this film will never look at Mona Lisa's smile again without thinking of the matchless Buscemi.
An offbeat sense of humor is established from the opening story, subtitled Montmartre, in which a frustrated young man (writer-director Bruno Podalydes) struggles to find a parking spot only to spend the time parked complaining aloud about why he can't find a girlfriend.
Then a lovely young woman (Florence Muller) faints beside his car. It's Paris.
Writer-director Gurinder Chadha spends a few minutes showing how a young man (Cyril Descours) can learn more from a modest hijab-wearing young woman (Leila Bekhti) than from his leering buddies.
Isabel Coixet manages to find great humor in a story of a failed love affair given new life after one of the lovers (Miranda Richardson) is diagnosed with terminal leukemia, while Oliver Schmitz's new paramedic (Aissa Maiga) learns how fleeting love can be while treating a stab victim (Seydou Boro).
Several sequences begin with misdirection so that Nolte's May-December romance turns out to be not that at all, while Hoskins and Ardant's strip club encounter involves more than a little planned artifice. Tom Tykwer's tale of an actress (Portman) trying to break off her affair with a blind linguist (Melchior Besion) also holds a surprise. Sylvain Chomet's item involving mimes is pleasingly self-mocking, and Alexander Payne's narrative of a Denver matron (Margo Martindale) visiting the city to improve her halting French begins in sarcasm and ends in sympathy.
Binoche grieves for her dead son in Nobuhiro Suwa's parable about a cowboy (Willem Defoe) who rides the midnight streets of Paris to ease her pain. Director Barbet Schroeder has fun along with Li Xin in a wacky musical fantasy by Christopher Doyle. Wes Craven naturally gravitates to a graveyard for his oddball contribution involving Wilde.
The cinematography is varied and wonderful. Pierre Adenot's music fits the bill, and there's a great waltz at the end with English adaptation by Oscar-winning lyricist Will Jennings.
PARIS JE T'AIME
Victoires International in association with Arrival Cinema
Credits:
Directors: Bruno Podalydes
Gurinder Chadha, Gus Van Sant, Joel and Ethan Coen, Walter Salles & Daniela Thomas, Christopher Doyle, Isabel Coixet, Nobuhiro Suwa, Sylvain Chomet, Alfonso Cuaron, Olivier Assayas, Oliver Schmitz, Richard LaGravenese, Vincenzo Natali, Wes Craven, Tom Tykwer, Frederic Auburtin & Gerard Depardieu, Alexander Payne
Producers: Claudie Ossard & Emmanuel Benbihy
Co-producer: Burkhard Von Schenk
Executive producers: Chris Bolzli, Gilles Caussade, Sam Englebardt, Ara Katz, Chad Troutwine, Frank Moss, Rafi Chaudry
Original idea: Tristan Carne
Concept: Emmanuel Benbihy
Production designer: Bettina von den Steinen
Editing supervisors: Simon Jacquet, Frederic Auburtin
Original music: Pierre Adenot
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 120 minutes...
- 5/18/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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