Boxoffice-November.1988

Dirty
'
PRODUCTION NOTES
Director Emil Ardolino, who rose to
'
prominence uith Dancing," has
signed a first-look, non-exclusive deal
with Columbia Pictures. Ardolino, who
recently completed "Chances Are" for
Tri-Star, says that the deal would not preclude
him from helming the tentative
"Dirty Dancing 11" for Vestron.
Morgan Creek Prods., which produced
"Young Guns" and the upcoming
"Dead Ringers," has announced an ambitious
three-year, 15-film production slate,
to be financed by a reported $124 million
production budget Films already in production
and set for release between January
and July of 1989 are "Skin Deep," a
Blake Edwards sex comedy starring John
Ritter (a 20th Century Fox release); "Major
League," another baseball comedy
starring Charlie Sheen and Tom Berenger
(a Paramount release); and "Lakota," a
comedy-adventure starring "Young
Guns" co-stars Kiefer Sutherland and Lou
Diamond Phillips (a Universal release).
Maverick producer Da\Hid Wolper, best
known for his TV productions of "Roots
and the 1984 Summer Olympics, has
signed a new seven-year contract with
Warner Bros. Pictures. Future titles
planned by the producer, who made
"Imagine: John Lennon " for Warners, include
"Picasso," a theatrical feature
about the artist, and "Swept Away," a
new version of the Lina Wertmuller film
Oscar-winner Cher has moved her Isis
Prods, to Columbia Pictures. The move,
which comes only seven months after the
singer-actress set up shop at Paramount,
means that Cher will have a first-look
production and development deal with
the studio, and will be working with production
head Dawn Steel, an admitted
Cher fan.
The long-term distribution deal between
Tri-Star Pictures and Hemdale
has reportedly been severely reduced in
scope The original deal, signed in September
of last year, covered three years or
15 Hemdale films, whichever came first
To date, Tri-Star has had no national
releases of Hemdale product, although
there have been some regional breaks
Tri-Star currently plans to release Hemdale's
"Criminal Law" onto 800-900
screens in November, but all other Hemdale
films have been dropped from their
schedule
The deal between Atlantic Entertainment
and home video supplier Prism
Entertainment has also fallen through
As officially announced in May of this
year. Prism was to have provided up to
S60 million in production financing for
Atlantic in exchange for video rights
Reportedly, however, Atlantic unexpectedly
came up with additional financial
requirements, including the stipulation
that Pnsm co-sign a .$2 S million hank
loan to help finance a new Atlantic feature.
The five-member Prism board
balked at the new demand, leading to the
cnimbling of the original deal.
PERSONNEL
William Soady, president of distribution
for Universal Pictures, announced
his resignation in September, having held
that post for the past 15 years. His
replacement is Fred Mound, who was
promoted from the position of senior vice
president and general sales manager to
the position of executive vice president of
distribution
In anticipation ot the October release
of "Halloween 4 The Return of Michael
Myers," Galaxy International Releasing
has made some additions lo its sales
and marketing staff James Goldschlager
leaves his post as director of the Pacific
Northwest region for Columbia Pictures to
become Galaxy's eastern division sales
manager, while Nick Pcrrot comes
aboard as western division sales manager.
Additionally, Anne Amesbury has been
made director of print services.
Luis Benavides has been named vice
president of marketing and distribution
for International Film Marketing. Benavides,
who has held marketing positions
with Cannon Films, 20th Century Fox and
American Cinema Releasing, will supervise
the release of all IFM product
Cineplex Odeon Corporation has announced
the following changes and promotions
within its ranks: Jerald Banks,
currently senior executive vice president,
has also been made president of the distribution
and post production group, and
will supervise all day-to-day activities of
c;ineplex Odeon Films, the Film House
Group, and Cineplex Odeon Television
Joel B. Michaels, formerly senior vice
president of Cineplex Odeon Films, U.S.,
has been promoted to president of that
division, overseeing the day-to-day activities
of the US film distribution division.
Bahman Farmanara has been named
executive vice president in charge of
acquisitions and world-wide marketing.
ACQUISITIONS
Cinec;om Entcrtainrnj-nt: "Salaam
Bombay," winner of the Camera d'Or
award (best first feature I
at this year's
c;annes Film Festival Filmed entirely in
the back alleys of Bombay and featuring a
cast of local street children, it tells .i survival
story about the downtrodden
youths
New Line Cinema: "Tougher Than
Leather," a fi< tioii.il .k ( mini of the rise
to prominence bv the r.ip group Run
DMC The film, which stars the (no, is
scheduled to open with up to 1 50 print.s on
Sept 16. with a second wave scheduled
for Oct 7
ODELL'S
4 we Cover
L America's
. Popcorn
With
GOOD TASTE
and PROFITS
USE
ODELL'S
RE^L
BUTTER
AMERICAS FAVORITE
POPCORN TOPPING
OR
ODELL'S
5UPURKIST
TWO
THE PREMIUM QUALITY
BUTTER SUBSTITUTE
CALL
ODELLS
AMERICA'S
POPCORN
TOPPING
PEOPLE
?4 HOUR TOLL FREE NUMBER
1-800-635-0436
NmcmlxT. I'JKH 7