todd wagner Tagged Articles at Cinematical
AFI Dallas Announces: DeNiro, Theron, Hunt, and a Bunch of Films
Filed under: Independent », Exhibition », Cinematical Indie », AFI Dallas »
The complete line-up for the second edition of the AFI Dallas International Film Festival has been announced, and beyond the galas and the glitter, the programming team has assembled an intriguing schedule. Robert Wilonsky of Unfair Park was the first to post the news and highlighted several of his recommendations.First, though, the stars: Helen Hunt will appear in support of her directorial debut Then She Found Me, which will serve as the Opening Night Gala on March 27, and Charlize Theron and Woody Harrelson will walk the red carpet for the closing night presentation, Battle in Seattle. Sometime in between, Robert De Niro and Barry Levinson will come out hustling for their latest, What Just Happened? Special awards will be given to Hunt, Theron, Jack Lemmon (in care of the late actor's widow, Felicia Farr), Mickey Rooney (?!), and Todd Wagner.
AFI Dallas established itself on the local social calendar last year as a premium civic-boosting event. That's good for the city, but as a film buff, I'm glad to see more international films in the narrative competition, more docs, an expanded and ace-looking section devoted to music docs ("Deep Ellum Sounds"), an entirely recommended six-film "Mavericks" section (featuring the French Chrysalis and the Japanese Vexille), and a ton of shorts. There's a fair share of titles that are dragging around lukewarm notices (see What Just Happaned? above), but I'm glad that local audiences will have a chance to decide for themselves. Cinematical will be covering the festival, which begins on March 27 and runs through April 6.
IFC to Test Day-and-Date Waters with Two New Films
Filed under: Comedy », Thrillers », Deals », Mystery & Suspense », IFC », Box Office », Distribution », Exhibition », Home Entertainment »
According to The Hollywood Reporter, IFC Films is going to release two new star-driven movies in theaters and On Demand on the same day. The films will be released by First Take, the "day-and-date" division of IFC. Previous attempts at day-and-date films have been extremely controversial with theater owners, who often refuse to book the movies, claiming, perhaps rightfully so, "Why would anyone leave the house and come to our theater if they can get the movie in the comfort of their own home?" Currently, Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban's Landmark Theaters are one of the few chains who will book day-and-date films, and even have their own day-and-date program, Sneak Preview. I'll stop saying day-and-date, I promise. You can read genius Cinematical writer Patrick Walsh's report on Steven Soderbergh's adventures with the distribution practice here, and Ryan's interview with Cuban right here.
What are the two new films? The crime drama Savage Grace, directed by Tom Kalin (his first feature-length film since 1992's Leopold and Loeb story Swoon) stars Julianne Moore and Hugh Dancy. Grace tells the "true story of socialite Barbara Daly Baekeland's 1972 murder," and was a $5 million production. Finishing the Game, a Bruce Lee mockumentary, was directed by Justin Lin (the very cool Better Luck Tomorrow, Fast and the Furious 2: Tokyo Drift). Game features cameos by James Franco and...uh...MC Hammer (how'd they get Hammer to sign on? Offer him a hot meal?), and "imagines the recasting of Lee's final role in Game of Death before filming was completed." You can read Scott's generally positive Sundance review of Death here. Grace will premiere in theaters and on IFC next year; Death next month.
Mark Cuban Wants To Make Us Scoop Our Own Popcorn
Filed under: Independent », Box Office », Distribution », Exhibition »
When Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner's production company -- 2929 Entertainment -- simultaneously released Steven Soderbergh's Bubble theatrically, on DVD, and on pay TV, the movie business went into an uproar. "They're killing the cinema!" people cried. To silence those haters, Cuban and Wager are now working on making going to the movies the kind of experience that will get butts off of couches nationwide. They plan to put millions of dollars into a theater model that will look more like your living room, complete with VIP chairs, sofas, and beanbags (could be cool). They want to have independent, foreign, and blockbuster films all at the same multiplex, like the Arclight in LA (cheers to that). They want to bring in higher-end food and drink, and are introducing a higher-priced ticket (is that possible?) which will include concessions and let the audiences serve themselves with something called the "Wall of Popcorn." Cuban and Wagner are unveiling their new concepts at three theaters in their Landmark chain -- locations in Baltimore, Denver, and at the Westside Pavilion in Los Angeles."Landmark's goal is to be the ultimate night out for grownups. Today's customer has different expectations than the customer of 10 and 20 years ago, and we need to recognize that and respond to it," says Cuban. "In our new Denver theater, we completely removed the concession stands. The original design had the traditional concession stand taking up prime real estate and dominating the look and feel of the theater. We decided that we would rather use that space for amenities, retail sales (movies, books, indie cinema related items), and 'interstitial' type entertainment that complements our 'datenight for grownups' concept in a lounge-like environment. Basically it became a place where you could go on a date, have a drink, food and be entertained before and after seeing a movie." Since theater-owners already hate Cuban after his day-and-date releasing plan, chances are that news of these theaters will not be greeted with open arms. I've got to say I'm all for it. Going to the theater is far too expensive to be as unpleasant as it so often is - why not experiment with the formula?
Honors for 2929
Filed under: Independent », Awards », Magnolia », Distribution », Newsstand », Mark Cuban », Cinematical Indie »
Though they won't even announced the nominees for their competitive awards until October, the folks at IFP (a group, for the non-independent film freaks among, you dedicated to "serving the independent film community as a source for networking and support while promoting film as a vital and influential public art form") have announced that they will honor Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner of 2929 Entertainment at their annual Gotham Awards this fall. According to IFP exec director Michelle Byrd, the pair are being recognized for their consistent willingness to think outside the box when it comes to film production and distribution. Though their day-and-date release strategy has received significant opposition from theater owners, it's starting to be adopted by other distributors, and seems to have been embraced, at least to a degree, by the viewing public. Said Byrd of the pair, "They are visionaries who have introduced exciting and new distribution models, and who continue to showcase tremendous diversity in the films they produce, release and exhibit." So yeah, she thinks they're pretty cool.Though the awards ceremony doesn't take place until late November, does anyone really think Cuban will have cooled off enough by then NOT to talk about the NBA refs? I'm saying he's got to at least slip in a David Stern reference.
Quickhits: Sonnenfeld Roams the Meadow, Zeta-Jones Loves Houdini and Six Show Off Their Broken English
Filed under: Casting », Deals », 20th Century Fox », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Mark Cuban »
Odds and ends for Thursday:
- Even though IMDB lists Zach Braff as its director, Barry Sonnenfeld is in final negotiations to helm Andrew Henry's Meadow for 20th Century Fox. Pic, which is based on the popular children's book, follows a boy inventor who escapes suburbia and travels to a meadow. There, he sets up some sort of community where he eventually teams up with other outcasts on a mission to save their parents. Braff, along with his brother Adam, originally set up the pic and developed the story while Adam wrote the script. Perhaps, since Zach is now off directing a Danish re-make, he has relinquished his director's hat.
- Who knew Catherine Zeta-Jones was so into magic. Apparently, the actress is in talks to star opposite Guy Pearce in biopic about the one and only Harry Houdini. Set in the mid-twenties, Death Defying Acts will pick up Houdini's story while he's at the height of his career, touring the country and amazing the public with his brilliant escape acts. That's right folks, David Blane has nothing on this guy. Zeta-Jones will play an exotic psychic (I wonder if that means she tells your fortune while in her underwear?) who seduces Houdini into a passionate affair.
- Well, it looks like HDNet Films is really starting to make some moves. Not long after Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban's company decided to up its budget cap from under $2 million to under $5 million (assuming the right talent was attached), comes word that Zoe Cassavetes' Broken English has wrapped up its stars and will become the latest HDNet venture to head into production. Onboard what appears to be a quirky romantic comedy about a woman lost in her 30's and looking for love, will be Parker Posey, Drea de Matteo, Gena Rowlands, Jeanne Moreau, Justin Theroux and Josh Hamilton.
SXSW: A Landmark Business Panel
Filed under: Independent », SXSW », Magnolia », Distribution », Exhibition », Home Entertainment », Movie Marketing », Mark Cuban », Cinematical Indie »
A Landmark Business, moderated by indieWIRE's Eugene Hernandez, brought together representatives from all aspects of Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner's vertically integrated filmmaking factory, now called Wagner/Cuban Companies: Ted Mundorff, film buyer for Landmark Theaters; Tom Quinn, acquisition exec for Magnolia Pictures; Eammon Bowles, President of Magnolia; Elizabeth Glass, buyer for HD Net and HDNet Movies; Bill Banowsky, head of the new distribution initiative, Truly Indie; and Wagner himself, who easily stole the show by spouting his party's platform. Wagner's rhetoric was probably pre-packaged but undeniably convincing nonetheless.
Wagner/Cuban's various distribution revolutions were the order of the day. In all the hype surrounding the conglomerate's groundbreaking day/date strategy, their equally ballsy Truly Indie program has been somewhat overlooked. Banowsky described it as a "producer empowered distribution alternative." The concept came from the exhibition sector: Landmark shows a couple hundred films on its 300 screens a year, but half of its profits come from about 20 titles. In fact, the bottom 50-70 films, as Banowsky explained it, actually lose money for the chain. So the various sectors of the company got together and came up with Truly Indie, which essentially allows producers to pay a single fee to rent space at a Landmark Theater, and simultaneously hire Truly Indie to market and promote their film. It's sort of a second (last?) chance, for filmmakers who, say, come off the festival circuit without a viable theatrical option. Truly Indie will allow such filmmakers to buy themselves a brief theatrical run, and still have the opportunity to cash in on the DVD rights. Wagner elaborates on the mission:
"We should be listening to the voice of independent cinema. I'd go to fests like this one [and hear filmmakers say], "I'm shut out of the system!" So what we're trying to do is open up the system. If you believe in your product, you should have a chance to release it."
The conversation soon, predictably, turned to day/date, and the company men are, rightfully, defensive. Here's where the Wagner quips really start to heat up. Some excerpts after the jump.
Magnolia Pictures are Pushers
Filed under: Action », Drama », Foreign Language », Independent », Thrillers », Deals », Magnolia », Distribution », Newsstand », Mark Cuban », Remakes and Sequels », Cinematical Indie »
Magnolia Pictures, the distribution company owned by
2929's Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner, has acquired the rights to a trio of Danish crime films collectively known as The
Pusher Trilogy. All three films - Pusher,
With Blood on My Hands, and The Angel of Death - were directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, and feature overlapping stories: secondary
characters from one film move into the foreground in the others.While the chance to see these films is more than enough to make the acquisition newsworthy, Magnolia - the distributor behind Bubble's simultaneous, multi-media release - plans to experiment with an unconventional release schedule for The Pusher Trilogy, as well. When the series hits American theaters this summer, different regions will see it in different ways, depending on "the audiences in each market." Among the options being considered are back-to-back screenings of all three films, simultaneous screenings in different theaters, and sequential screenings on three different days. After pissing off theater owners with their approach to Bubble, a Magnolia rep hastened to add that the Pusher "release pattern also will depend on each theater's preferred release strategy." Whew.
Regardless of if you agree with what Cuban and Wagner are doing, it's hard not to respect them for constantly searching for new ways to approach film distribution. Plus, they're giving us the opportunity to see interesting work from abroad, which is something that shouldn't be lost in the inevitable controversy over the release of the films.
Review: Bubble
Filed under: Drama », Independent », Sundance », Magnolia », Theatrical Reviews », Cinematical Indie »
Steven Soderbergh – who shot to fame 17 years ago, when sex, lies and videotape took the 1989 Sundance Film Festival by storm – won a Best Director Oscar for Traffic and immediately used his newfound Hollywood clout to cast George Clooney in a remake of Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris. That didn't turn out so great, and some of us – well, okay, probably just me – spent one or two sleepless nights worrying about Steven Soderbergh's career. Though he'd surely never speak to it, perhaps Soderbergh was worried, too, because after the lackluster reception to 2004's Ocean's 12, he went out looking for a kick in the ass. So let's get the business part out of the way: Bubble is the first of six films that the director plans to make, on high def video at a budget of about $250,000 each, for Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner's 2929 Entertainment. 2929, in turn, plans to release all six films on DVD, in theaters, and on HD Net cable – simultaneously. Going in, it's hard to brush off the worry that the deal – and, particularly, its emphasis on technology and speed – might dictate, or at least influence, the way Soderbergh approaches his form and content. What's immediately striking about Bubble, however, is its apparent lack of desire to conform to ... anything. Bubble is not a commercial film, and as such, it in some ways seems like the ideal test case for 2929's simultaneous distribution gambit. If there's any film in today's marketplace that needs to blow its wad all at once to get noticed, it's this.
Landmark, Cuban not so in love with Sony's projector
Filed under: Deals », Tech Stuff », Mark Cuban »
Just a day after Sony's Howard Stringer bragged at CES about bagging Landmark as
the first customer for Sony's high res 4K projector, Landmark announced (also at CES) the indie chain is ditching the
Sony 4K projector in favor of Barco's 2K projectors. Apparently nobody told Stringer. Cinematech reports that in an
email to them in December, Landmark's Mark Cuban said Landmark had installed a couple of Sony's projectors and was
"battle testing" them. Guess that didn't work out so well. Landmark's announcement leaves Sony in a bit
of a lurch, with zero - count 'em, zero - customers for it's projector, which has been plauged with technical and
delivery issues.
Wagner admits doubts about simultaneous release
Filed under: Tech Stuff », Distribution », Exhibition », Home Entertainment », Mark Cuban »
Laura M. Holson
contributed a piece to the New York Times yesterday about the changing face of distribution and, fittingly,
she saved Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner's revolutionary alliance with Steven Soderbergh for last. The moguls and the
director are working together to simultaneously launch a series of films, starting with Bubble, on DVD, in
theaters, and on cable; as Holson writes, "What the three men are proposing is a radical - and, to theater owners
and existing distributors, not particularly welcome - model of how movies could be distributed one day." It's not
at all surprising that Cuban and Wagner's competitors would alternately find the proposal foolhardy and terrifying
– the kicker is that Holson gets Wagner to agree. "I know if I went to [a non-Landmark] theater and said,
'Let's sell the movie at the same time on DVD and in the theater,' they would say 'no'. I don't think there is a right
answer yet. We are experimenting. If we are just dead wrong, we are not going to do it anymore." This seems like a
radical change in faith for Wagner – what's causing the drop in confidence? Has the home office finally faced the
fact that whilst Bubble is a very interesting film, it's not a very commercial film – and thus, is
probably not the best subject for a simultaneous release experiment?
Peter Jackson Says Spielberg's 'Tintin' is Done Filming, but...
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Exclusive 'Nine' Poster Premiere!
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