from Cannes - The Hollywood Reporter

day5_p5,58_news_c 5/17/08 7:51 PM Page 58day 5 | sunday, may 18, 2008 | newsSkullcontinued from page 5chicken compared with theother star of “Indiana Jones andthe Kingdom of the CrystalSkull,” namely the eponymousskull, which dates back to the19th century.From May 20-Sept. 7, theMusee du Quai Branly in Pariswill exhibit the famous 11 centimeter-high,2.5 kilogramParis-based crystal skull, parallelto the release of the longawaitedfourth installment inthe Indiana Jones saga.According to legend, thecrystal skull is one of 12 locatedacross the globe. The skullsallegedly corresponded to the 12worlds where human life waspresent, with the land alsoforming its own skull, making13 total. The Olmecs, theMayans and then the Aztecskept the skulls in a great pyramidand the objects were said tobe able to speak and sing whenall were together.Crystal skulls such as that atthe Musee du Quai Branly havebeen displayed in museums allover the world (the BritishMuseum and the Smithsonian,for example) but all have provento be fakes, more likely constructedin the late 19th century.So why such a fuss if they’reall fakes?“In the end, everyone is freeto believe what they want tobelieve,” the Musee du QuaiBranly’s director of permanentcollections Yves Le Fur said ashe unveiled the eerily beautifulartifact at a recent ceremony atthe museum.“The meaning and value ofthe skull has changed over theyears. Just the fact that there’s amajor movie being made aboutit today shows that the value ofan object is relative to our owninterest,” Le Fur said.Paramount says that Spielbergmay stop by the Paris‘Cowboys’continued from page 5Svarog-Afterburner Films’Dave Riggs and Nickolai Suslovand YFG CEO Bob Yari will producethe “Top Gun”-style feature,centering on tough pilots inan elite Naval attack squadron.The film will be shot in the U.S.and Russia, using the U.S. NavyFighter Weapons School for the“The meaning andvalue of the skull haschanged over the years.Just the fact that there’sa major movie beingmade about it todayshows that the value ofan object is relative toour own interest.”— Yves Le Furexhibit on his way back fromCannes after presenting thefilm Out of Competition..The skull, however, will notbe walking the red carpet for thefilm’s Cannes world premiere.“We couldn’t find a tuxedo forit,” Paramount France bossCamille Trumer said. ∂Senatorcontinued from page 5ging along nicely — he recentlygreen-lighted videogame adaptation“Clock Tower” and SamuelL. Jackson starrer “Unthinkable”— fresh cash will be needed.“With our current set up weare seeing a flattening curve andthere is an upper limit to ourgrowth,” Sasse told THR. “Whatwe are concerned with at themoment is the question of how toget Senator quantitatively toanother level. I definitely see thechance for us to grow massivelyin the future if we can correctlyposition ourselves in the market.”Senator has most of the strategicpieces in place — includingTVproduction operations and athree-year production deal withWolfgang Petersen’s RadiantProds. Senator also is expectedto sign a U.S. distribution dealfor its English-language slate.Sasse forecasts that, twoyears from now, Senator’s revenuewill be in triple-digit millionsof euros. ∂first time in two decades andRussian air force aircraft.First-timer Adam Princewrote the script based on RandyArrington’s 2007 “KeroseneCowboys: Manning the Spare”and a treatment by Riggs andSuslov. David Glasser of YFG armSyndicate Films will rep foreignsales. The Collective’s ShaunRedick, who negotiated the dealwith YFG’s Bill Immerman, willexecutive produce. ∂Cajuncontinued from page 5cane Katrina and nearly a yearafter the city established theEntertainment Initiative andnamed Marcus Brown to head it.“Following Katrina, theentertainment industry evacuatedto the north of Louisiana,”Durel said. “They took a glancinglook at Lafayette, but all thehotels were full of evacuees andbonding companies weren’tinsuring during hurricaneseason.”Now, however, Durel saidLafayette is the only parishsouth of Interstate 10 beinginsured as if it were north ofInterstate 10, a man-made geographicdivide separatingsouthern and northernLouisiana.In addition to the 25% statetax credits offered for movieproduction, digital media forvideo gaming and sound recordingand additional 10% for usinga local crew, Lafayette offers aculturally rich and aggressivelyentrepreneurial city.Lafayette also offers theFrench the added bonus of“more French heritage andFrench-speaking citizens thananywhere else in America,”Durel said.According to Durel, the city’sstate-of-the-art LouisianaImmersive Technologies Enterprise,the $27 million 70,000 sq.foot high pre-visualizing complexcoupled with the broadbandconnection to allow for 100MB/sec capacity, makes Lafayettethe ideal place to set up shop.“We’re a technological hub,so production can get out of thecommunity better, faster andcheaper than anywhere else inthe state,” the mayor said.According to Brown, companiesalready have started takingadvantage of Lafayette's infrastructureand three servicecompanies.In addition to French directorBertrand Tavernier’s “In theElectric Mist” which shot in thearea, Glenn Ficarra and JohnRequa are presently shooting “ILove You Phillip Morris.”Since the state tax credits wereintroduced in 2002, the state hassteadily attracted more high profileprojects. Last year, more than40 productions filmed inLouisiana, a number expected togrow. While Oliver Stone’sGeorge W. Bush biopic is shootingthere now. ∂CannesDaily EditionHotel Palais Stéphanie(formerly the Noga Hilton)50 boulevard de la Croisettephone: 04.93.38.29.01fax: 06.92.99.69.36Eric Mika,PublisherElizabeth Guider,EditorE D I T O R I A LDavid Morgan (Deputy Editor),Gregg Kilday (Film Editor),Stuart Kemp (U.K. Bureau Chief),Scott Roxborough (Germany BureauChief), Charles Masters (AssociateEditor), Gregg Goldstein (N.Y. FilmReporter), Steven Zeitchik (N.Y. SeniorWriter), Pamela Rolfe (Spain BureauChief), Rebecca Leffler (FranceCorrespondent), Eric J. Lyman (ItalyCorrespondent), Chad Williams(Int’l News Editor), Ralf Ludemann(Copy Editor), Isabelle Ramsden(Proofreader)A R T + D E S I G NDeeann J. Hoff (Director – Art+Design),Emily Johnson (Senior Designer)R E V I E W SKirk Honeycutt (Chief Film Critic),Ray Bennett (U.K. Film Critic),Deborah Young (Chief Int’l Film Critic),Duane Byrge (Film Critic),Maggie Lee (Film Critic),Peter Brunette (Film Critic)A D V E R T I S I N GTommaso Campione (InternationalExecutive Director), Alison Smith(International Sales Director),Damjana Finci Baskot (AccountManager, Eastern Europe), Ivy Lam(Asia Sales & Marketing Manager),Andrew Goldstein (Acct. Manager,Independent Films), Nina Pragasam(International Marketing Manager)O P E R A T I O N S + I TKelly Jones (Production Director),Gregg Edwards (Senior ProductionManager), Armen Sarkisian(Network Administrator)G E N E R A LSylvie Tucker (Office Manager),Julie Brown (Office Manager)Gerry ByrneSenior Vice President,The Entertainment GroupCopyright ©2008 Nielsen Business Media, Inc.All rights reserved. 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