Boxoffice-November.1999

HOLLYWOOD
UPDATES
GALE ANNE KURD
Gains Independence
SANDRA BULLOCK
Fortis-ies Her Deal at Warners
RACHAEL LEIGH COOK
Never Been "Better"
Producer Barry Mendel has
moved his eponymous production
banner to the Universal lot from
Disney, where he worked for three
years and produced the studio's
highest grossing film of the year,
M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth
Sense" and the underseened but
critically acclaimed "Rushmore"
by Wes Anderson and Owen
Wilson. After weighing several
offers from other companies,
including Disney, which is cutting
back on producer deals, Mendel
opted to sign a three-year, firstlook
deal with Universal.
"It is wonderful to have Barry
make Universal the home for his
company," says Kevin Misher,
president of production for
Universal Pictures and close
friend of Mendel's. "\ have great
expectations for this new development
partnership."
"Every producer's dream is to
find a permanent home where
each year, the studio is counting
on you to help them prepare
their slate," Mendel says. "Base
on their creative and business
sensibilities as well as my relationships
at the studio. Universal
offers a great opportunity. We
share a strong belief that the
screenplay and the filmmaking
come first. It is an exciting youthful
studio, and I hope to earn my
place here.
"However, I am leaving
Disney on the best of terms. They
were the first ones to believe in
me, and I am very grateful for
everything they have done."
Mendel is currently working
on "Flora Plum," slated to begin
lensing early next year with Jodie
Foster at the helm. He's also
attached to the next projects by
Shyamalan and Anderson and
Wilson.
In the wake of his father's
departure from the studio, Frank
Mancuso Jr. has terminated his
production deal with MGM. Frank
Mancuso Sr. recently ankled his
post with the company, and Alex
Yemenidijian took over as chairman
with Chris McGurk as his
right-hand man. FGM, Mancuso
production entity, had three years
left on the pact it signed with the
studio in January 1998.
"Although Frank Mancuso Jr.
offered valuable support to previous
management, MGM's new
strategic plan follows another
direction," McGurk says. "We
thank Frank for his contributions
to MGM over the years and wish
him well in future endeavors.
"I committed my time and
energy exclusively to MGM in
support of Frank Sr.," Mancuso
adds. "As he is no longer actively
involved in the daily operations
of the studio, a change
seemed appropriate. I wish
MGM well as it moves forward
under new management."
Mancuso recently produced
"Stigmata" for the studio, as well
as "Ronin" and the "Species"
films. MGM has agreed to allow
him to purchase the negative to
"Mary Jane's Last Dance," currently
in post production and
scheduled for release next
February.
Largely due to the runaway
success of "Runaway Bride,"
whose $35 million opening was
the biggest ever for Julia Roberts
and for any romantic comedy,
Lakeshore Entertainment has
renewed its production-distribution
deal with Paramount
Pictures for another three years.
Under the terms of the agreement,
Lakeshore will continue to
develop and produce films that
will be co-financed and distributed
by Paramount. Lakeshore
Intl. handles foreign distribution.
Lakeshore has produced six
films for the studio, including
"200 Cigarettes" and "'Till There
Was You," and is currently working
on "The Next Best Thing"
starring Madonna and Rupert
Everett. Other films in the
pipeline include "The Gift" starring
Cate Blanchett with Sam
Raimi directing and Billy Bob
Thornton scripting, thriller "The
Mothman Prophecies" starring
Richard Gere, actioner "Shooter"
and the biopic "O'Keefe."
Veteran producer Gale Anne
Hurd has elected not to renew her
three-year, nonexclusive deal with
Paramount and has moved her
Pacific Western Prods, banner off
the lot to a Studio City, Calif, location.
Setting up equity deals with
unnamed partners, Hurd hopes to
have more control over her films,
taking an active role in distribution,
owning or co-owning negative
rights and sharing in profits.
She also intends to develop television
pilots and explore Internet
and DVD opportunities. Hurd produced
"Dead Man on Campus,"
"Switchback," "The Relic" and
"The Ghost and the Darkness" for
the studio. Her other credits
include "Dick," "Armageddon,"
"Aliens," "The Abyss" and "The
Terminator" films.
Akiva Goldsman, best known
for penning the two "Batman"
sequels, has re-negotiated a twoyear,
first-look deal for his Weed
Road Pictures production company
at Warner Bros. Goldsman,
who recently produced Renny
Harlin's "Deep Blue Sea," is setting
up at Warners a big-screen
adaptation of the 1970s television
series "Starsky & Hutch" as
well as comic book-based "Flesh
& Ink," which he's co-producing
with Mel Gibson and Bruce
Davey's Icon Prods. His new
deal with the studio solely
encompasses producing duties,
though he refuses to limit hi
writing output, which ha
spawned "A Time to Kill," "Th
Client" and "Practical Magic" ii
addition to his "Batman" scripts
Goldsman plans to produce on.
to two pics a year for the studio
Sandra Bullock's Fortis Film
has reupped its production pac
at Warner Bros, to include fou
projects for her to star in—tw(
live action and two animated. It
the adaptation of Gormai
Berchard's novel "Alison'
Starting to Happen," Bullock wil
play a self-absorbed womar
who's given time to find meaninj
in her life after she dies in a ca
crash. Also involving a car crash
"Babe Behind Bars" will star thf
thesp as a ruthless Hollywooc
executive sentenced to prisor
after injuring an elderly womar
in a reckless car accident. Th(
animated projects include
"Nicholas Cricket," based on the
William Joyce children's book
and "Jingle," about the world's
most sarcastic elf abandoned a
the home of the naughtiest gir
on Christmas Eve.
Rachael Leigh Cook, the "she'
in "She's All That," has expandec
her starring role in Miramax's
black comedy "Never Better" to a
two-picture deal. "Never Better,''
also starring Rachel Griffiths,
Alan Rickman and Natasha
Richardson, is set in the competitive
world of hairdressing. The
other pic has yet to be determined.
Leigh recently wrapped
shooting on Dimension's "Texas
Rangers" opposite James Van Per
Beek.
New Line Cinema has signed a
two-year, first-look deal with
Theodore Witcher, writer and
director of the company's "Love
Jones," and his production company
MK-Ultra. His first project
under the deal will be "If I Don't
Six," a drama set in college football.
He's also working on
"Libra," a love story set among
New York musicians.
Tyro writers Andrew Lowery
and Andrew Miller have inked to
pen two screenplays for
Miramax in a deal worth north of
$1 million. Their first project will
be a remake of the British telepic
"Dancing Queen," about a
groom-to-be who's stranded at
the altar after hooking up with a
stripper at his bachelor party. The
duo's second script has yet to be
determined and will either be an
original idea or something else
from the minimajor's development
slate. Lowery and Miller
caught the attention of Miramax
with their script "Boys and
Girls," to be helmed by "She's All
That" director Robert Iscove and
star Freddie Prinze Jr.
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