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, Making<br />
I<br />
Playa<br />
: ose<br />
r.tor was in the midst of making public-<br />
decisions regarding his latest,<br />
i<br />
marketing<br />
'<br />
es<br />
! se.<br />
After a (shall we say) revealing 90-seci<br />
"<br />
M<br />
r<br />
FOLLYWOOD<br />
IPDATES<br />
by Annlee Ellingson<br />
EES CLOSED SHUT<br />
tanley Kubrick, the genius behind such<br />
viatic classics as "2001: A Space Odysind<br />
"A Clockwork Orange," died of a<br />
111 attack this spring at his home in<br />
I- tfordshire, England. The 70-year-old di-<br />
Wide Shut," a psychosexual thriller<br />
h^diining husband-and-wife stars Tom<br />
^cand Nicole Kidman. The film is reportlinished<br />
except for a few finishing<br />
; Lines, though Kubrick was infamous for<br />
t Trimark has struck a deal with Broadcast.com Inc. that could<br />
change the face of film distribution. Swapping $3 million in stock. Trimark agreed to distribute<br />
at least 50 full-length films from its 450-iitle library—including its "Warlock" and "Leprechaun"<br />
series—via the Web, either for free or following a pay-per-view model.<br />
The same idea's been batted lu-ound by a couple of other companies as well, ifilm, LLC has<br />
launched the Internet Film Network (www.ifilm.net), an alternative distribution ouriet for<br />
independent film that includes streamed-on-demand films, filmmaker information and feedback<br />
forums. Atom Corporation, too. has created an online forum {www.atomfilms.com). this<br />
solely for shorts, where it will show a new selection of shorts each week in addition to selling<br />
them in a home video format.<br />
Unfortunately, the average person's current technology may not be able to keep up with<br />
the concept. Streaming video through typical Internet access produces jerky and fuzzy images.<br />
But players in this new industr\^ believe it won't be long before consumers will have the<br />
high-speed cable modems required to view films this way.<br />
"Right now. anyone with access to the Internet and either the Real Player G2 or the Windows<br />
Media Player can watch our films." ifilm founder Rodger Raderman tells BOXOFFICE. "The<br />
faster the viewer's connection, the better the quality of the video will be." He goes on to explain<br />
that compression technology and broadband availability are keys to reaching a mass audience.<br />
Raderman expects to be using compression technologies within several weeks and indicated<br />
that, according to Forrester Research, an estimated 6 percent of onUne users already have<br />
broadband access. "That number, they estimate, will ramp quickly to 1 1 percent in 2000. 18<br />
percent in 2001 and 25 percent by 2002," Raderman says.<br />
Universal ("Patch Adams"), Sony ("Godzilla"),<br />
New Line ("Rush Hour") and Miramax<br />
for "Scream 2," which opened in 1997 but<br />
passed the $1 00 million mark this year.<br />
SONY COMMITS TO FAMILY<br />
Shadowing bolder studios such as Warner<br />
Bros, and DreamWorks, Sony has offered up<br />
its own challenge to Disney, entering into the<br />
lucrative family- and children-entertainment<br />
arena to incluae theatrical. Sander Schwartz,<br />
the manager of Columbia TriStar Television's<br />
children's programming who oversaw kidvids<br />
"Men in Black: The Series" and "Godzilla: The<br />
Series," will head the new division. The goal<br />
is<br />
to create franchise-friendly characters that<br />
will translate fluently into film, TV, home<br />
video, online and merchandising projects.<br />
INK SPOTS<br />
"The Thin Red Line" writer/director Terrence<br />
Malick has reteamed with his "Badlands"<br />
producer Edward Pressman to form<br />
Columbine Prods, and has inked a deal with<br />
Sony Pictures Classics for a development and<br />
distribution deal. Columbine is obligated to<br />
three low-budgets pics in the next three years.<br />
Malick doesn't have any specific plans to<br />
direct but hasn't ruled it out.<br />
Director Tom Shadyac, whose "Patch<br />
Adams" was a lifesaver for drowning Universal<br />
last Christmas, has autographed a three-year<br />
first-look producing and directing pact with the<br />
studio. In addition to his double duties on the<br />
film side, Shadyac will be producing music<br />
through his newly formed 333 Music Group.<br />
After nine years at Columbia, where she<br />
produced hits such as "Stepmom," Wendy<br />
Finerman has inked a three-year first-look deal<br />
with Fox 2000. Her first project is expected to<br />
be "Mama Masai," a drama about an American<br />
woman who becomes a member of the African<br />
Masai warrior tribe, to star Helen Hunt.<br />
which produced<br />
Handprint Entertainment,<br />
"Above the Rim" for New Line and "Booty Call"<br />
for Columbia, has entered into a long-term<br />
first-look film and TV production deal with<br />
Miramax's Dimension Films. The deal makes<br />
sense for Handprint execs Benny Medina and<br />
Jeff Pollack, who represent the young talent<br />
Dimension often employs, such as Jennifer<br />
Lopez, Katie Holmes and Sean "Puffy" Combs.<br />
John Leguizamo, appearing next in Spike<br />
Lee's "Summer of Sam," has signed a first-look<br />
deal to develop film and TV production projects<br />
with his producing partner Kathy<br />
DeMarco for Miramax Films.<br />
Working Title Films—the London-based<br />
firm responsible for Oscar-nominee "Elizabeth"—as<br />
expected signed a lucrative production<br />
deal with Universal. The crossover<br />
should be a smooth one for execs Eric Fellner<br />
and Tim Bevan—who were denied much of<br />
the profit on such hits as "Four Weddings and<br />
a Funeral" under their expired Polygram<br />
pact—as Universal acquired its development<br />
slate with the Polygram buyout. Upcoming<br />
Working Title projects include adaptations of<br />
bestsellers "Bridget Jones' Diary" and<br />
"Corelli's Mandolin" and a live-action remake<br />
of "Thunderbirds."<br />
ON THE MOVE<br />
Following the termination of former chairman<br />
Casey Silver and former president of<br />
production Marc Piatt, Universal has attempted<br />
to somewhat solidify its executive<br />
roster by offering president of production<br />
Stacy Snider a three-year contract. Snider has<br />
overseen such recent Universal successes as<br />
"October Sky" and "Patch Adams" after a long<br />
dry spell that included "Meet Joe Black" and<br />
"Primary Colors."<br />
Former Buena Vista International acquisitions<br />
exec Anne Sterling has been upped to<br />
senior VP of production for Buena Vista Motion<br />
Picture Group. She'll be overseeing production<br />
under the Walt Disney and<br />
Touchstone Pictures banners, with an emphasis<br />
on developing romantic comedies. Most<br />
recently. Sterling was involved with producer/star<br />
Sandra Bullock's "Gun Shy" and<br />
Gwyneth Paltrow vehicle "Duets."<br />
MGM Pictures has also hired a new senior<br />
VP of production. Elizabeth Carroll will continue<br />
to oversee the development and packaging<br />
of films, from acquisition to release.<br />
Currently just off "Mod Squad", the former VP<br />
development is working on Elisabeth Shue<br />
vehicle "Molly" and Joel Schumacher's<br />
"Flawless," starring Robert De Niro.<br />
<strong>May</strong>, <strong>1999</strong> 47
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