Studio
Lessons from Last Year
1/6/2010 at 1:19 PM by Suraj Das
Lessons from Last Year
Happy New Year, independent filmmakers! What better way could there possibly be to start the new year than by looking at the trends and business practices that dominated the American film industry in 2009? This sharp, perceptive, and funny post on IFC's The Independent Eye blog does just that. Covering issues ranging from the decline of star-driven movies at the box-office to the rise of 3D, the article brings up some very good points and raises some truly interesting questions about the immediate future of filmmaking. You know what they say about those who do not learn from history - so click here to take a look at the piece and keep yourself in the know!
Suraj Das Writer, Director
Industry News: Fest Favorites Get Picked Up
7/29/2009 at 2:08 PM by Jessica Kantor
Oscilloscope gets 'Happy'
Oscilloscope Laboratories has picked up North American rights to Henrik Ruben Genz’s thriller “Terribly Happy.” Danish pic, about a Copenhagen cop who moves to a small town after having a nervous breakdown, won the top prize at last year’s Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
Industry News: Revenge of the Sequels
7/24/2009 at 6:13 AM by Jessica Kantor
Deals cut for 'Saw VII'
It turns out there’s plenty of life left in “Saw” and Jigsaw John. With “Saw VI” due to open in the usual October slot, Lionsgate has greenlit “Saw VII” with a January start of production. David Hackl — production designer of the second, third and fourth films and helmer of “Saw V” — has been tapped to direct. Mark Burg and Oren Koules, who have produced all six of the “Saw” pics, are back as producers. And scribes Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, who penned the fourth, fifth and sixth films, are writing the seventh.
Industry News: Comic-Con is Coming
7/22/2009 at 8:35 AM by Jessica Kantor
James Mangold to direct 'Words'
James Mangold is attached to direct an adaptation of the memoir “Three Little Words,” which is among the first projects to come from Lime Orchard Prods., the shingle recently launched by thesp Jami Gertz. Cathy Konrad is onboard to produce “Words,” a 2008 memoir by Ashley Rhodes-Courter about her traumatic childhood in foster care, through Konrad and Mangold’s Tree Line Film banner along with Lime Orchard.
Industry News: Half-Blood Prince Slays Dinosaurs
7/20/2009 at 2:08 PM by Jessica Kantor
Weekend Estimate
July 17-19, 2009 (*millions)
FILM GROSS
1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) $79.5M
2 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) $17.7M
3 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) $13.8M
4 Brüno (2009) $8.37M
5 The Hangover (2009) $8.31M
6 The Proposal (2009) $8.29M
7 Public Enemies (2009) $7.59M
8 Up (2009) $3.15M
9 My Sister’s Keeper (2009) $2.83M
10 I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009) $2.67M
Industry News: Acquisitions and Updates
7/15/2009 at 8:05 AM by Jessica Kantor
FX starts 'The League'
FX has quietly begun production on “The League,” a half-hour comedy pilot starring “Humpday’s” Mark Duplass. The semi-improvised buddy comedy revolves around a group of thirtysomething guys in a fantasy football league. Set in the suburbs of Chicago, “League” follows the group as they deal with issues of friendship, relationships and parenthood. Duplass stars along with Nick Kroll (”I Love You Man”), Paul Sheer (”Human Giant”), Steve Rannazzisi (”Paul Blart: Mall Cop”) and Jon Lajoie. Also in the cast are Leslie Bibb (”Iron Man”), Katie Aselton (”The Office”) and Nadine Velazquez (”My Name Is Earl”).
Film News Briefs
7/10/2009 at 7:23 AM by Amy Allen
We've partnered with FilmNewsBriefs to bring you the top industry news a couple times a week. A daily memo created for executives to easily digest the day's most important film-related news stories, FilmNewsBriefs is currently read by studio heads, agents, development execs and filmmakers. To read all of the top news, check out the site or subscribe to the mailing list; the link to do so will be at the bottom of every post. Now onto the news!
Tomas Alfredson signs on for 'Tinker, Tailor'
Fresh from the success of highly acclaimed vampire movie "Let The Right One In," award-winning Swedish director Tomas Alfredson has signed on as director on Working Title upcoming project "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," the company announced Thursday. The new feature film adaptation of John Le Carre's seminal cold war best-seller is being produced by Working Title's co-chairmen Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, and marks their next collaboration with Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Peter Morgan ("Frost/Nixon," "The Queen") and will be exec-produced by Debra Hayward, Liza Chasin, John Le Carre and Peter Morgan. Set in the aftermath of the cold war, the thriller tells the tale of a spy-hunt within the highest echelons of the British Secret Intelligence Service.
