OVERTURE FILMS

Contents

Overview

Mission

Movies

Righteous Kill

Mad Money

Ferris Wheel

Last Chance Harvey

105 Degrees and Rising

Traitor

Staff

Miscellaneous

Notes and References

Overview

Overture Films [1] develops, produces, acquires, and distributes motion pictures worldwide. The studio will form collaborative relationships with filmmakers and empower them to produce quality films that take creative risks and break new ground. Its affiliated companies, Starz Home Video and Starz Entertainment, make the films available to viewers via home video, premium television, Internet and other outlets. Overture Films is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation that is attributable to Liberty Capital Corp. With $500 million in funding, Overture Films was founded in Fall of 2006 and run by industry veterans Chris McGurk (CEO) and Danny Rosett (COO). The President of Worldwide Theatrical Marketing, Distribution and New Media is Peter Adee. Executive Vice Presidents of Production and Acquisitions are Sean Furst and Robert Kessel and Bryan Furst is Senior Vice President of Production and Acquisitions.

Mission

Overture Films is adopting an independent film model not unlike New Line Cinema, aiming to produce mainstream commercial films under the $30 million mark targeted at distinct marketing niches. “I believe that this economic model is favorable for setting up a business that can take creative risks,” McGurk said. “We will forge the kind of alliances that made UA so strong years ago. We will create a haven for great filmmakers and let them make movies.”^[1]

In keeping with Overtures objective to be a company dedicated to empowering filmmakers and to produce films outside of the boundaries of the big studio system, McGurk and Rosett hired Kessel and the Fursts because of their unique hands on filmmaking and acquisitions experience and felt that their experience was crucial to meeting their filmmaker-friendly objective.^[2] That same philosophy is why they hired Adee to run marketing and distribution because of his creativity, strong leadership ability and deep talent relationships as well as his cutting-edge marketing campaigns and talent-friendly approach.^[3]
In setting up the studio, McGurk and Rosett have taken a “distribution centric” approach. Overture has five-year deals in place for pay-TV at Starz and home video distribution at Anchor Bay Entertainment, both part of Liberty Media Corporation.

Movies

Righteous Kill

Long time partners Detectives David Fisk and Thomas Cowan investigate a series of vigilante killings in a gritty and sophisticated New York City crime thriller. Righteous Kill stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino.^[4] and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, who will play a drug dealer.^[5] It will be directed by Jon Avnet.^[6] The film is being written by Russell Gewirtz who previously scripted ''Inside Man''.

Mad Money

Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes star as three ordinary women who form an unlikely friendship and decide to do something extraordinary — rob one of the most secure banks in the world. Mad Money is written and directed by Thelma and Louise director Callie Khouri.^[7]

Ferris Wheel

Ferris Wheel tells the story of a young girl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s AnnaSophia Robb) who comes to terms with her mother’s abandonment by forming an unlikely bond with her Uncle (Nick Stahl), who is struggling to deal with his own troubled life. Woody Harrelson and Dennis Hopper co-star. Academy Award-winner Charlize Theron, who stars as the mother, produced the film.

Last Chance Harvey

A struggling New York jingle writer (Dustin Hoffman) and a lonely British bureaucrat (Emma Thompson) meet by chance in London and transform one another’s lives. Joel Hopkins ("Jump Tomorrow") will direct from his own script. Hopkins penned the screenplay with Hoffman and Thompson in mind for the characters.^[8]

105 Degrees and Rising

Lives intersect—American diplomats, reporters, military officers, as well as Vietnamese civilians—as they all struggle to leave Saigon in 1975 as the US prepares to evacuate. Jon Amiel ("Entrapment") is slated to direct William M. Akers' script.Jon Amiel ("Entrapment") is slated to direct William M. Akers' script.^[9]

Traitor

A rogue former US Special forces operative is aiding terrorists to carry out acts against the West; however, it's unclear where the man's loyalties lie. Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce have signed to topline. Jeffrey Nachmanoff will direct from his own script, which is based on an original idea from Steve Martin.^[10]

Staff

★ Chris McGurk, Chief Executive Officer

★ Danny Rosett, Chief Operating Officer

★ Peter Adee, President (Worldwide Theatrical Marketing, Distribution, & New Media)

★ Kyle Davies, Executive Vice President (Theatrical Distribution)

★ Sean Furst, Executive Vice President (Production & Acquisitions)

★ Robert Kessel, Executive Vice President (Production & Acquisitions)

★ Justin Alvarado-Brown, Senior Vice President (Business & Legal Affairs)

★ Matt Garelik, Senior Vice President (Theatrical Distribution)

★ Adam Keen, Senior Vice President (Worldwide Publicity)

★ Greg Forston, Senior Vice President (Theatrical Distribution)

★ Bryan Furst, Senior Vice President (Production & Acquisitions)

★ Erika Hindle, Senior Vice President (Finance & Administration)

★ Rob Springer, Senior Vice President (Sales Operations)

★ Elana Sulzer, Senior Vice President (Media)

★ Rachel Cadden, Vice President (Marketing)

★ Lauren Kisilevsky, Vice President (Production & Acquisitions)

★ Katrina Love, Vice President (Creative Advertising)

★ Bryan Yaconelli, Vice President (Production Finance)

★ Bruce Markoe, Head of Post Production

★ Jessica Shulman, Creative Executive

Miscellaneous

In 2007, The Hollywood Reporter named Chris McGurk and Danny Rosett #37 on their Indie Power 50.^[11]

Notes and References

1. ''Malone taps McGurk to run new studio-distrib''; Anne Thompson; The Hollywood Reporter; November 14-20, 2006
2. ''Overture Films announces production and acquisition leadership team''; Starz Media Press Release; January 22, 2007
3. ''Peter Adee joins Overture Films''; Starz Media Press Release; February 21, 2007
4. De Niro and Pacino pair up again
5. http://www.rapbasement.com/content/view/2991/35
6. De Niro, Pacino reunite for 'Kill' Dade Hayes
7. ''Overture happy to nab Mad Money''; Dave McNary; Daily Variety; Tuesday, May 01, 2007
8. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117966304.html
9. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117962385.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
10. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3icd7a8b9fe00edd2da48caac81ad8f339
11. ''Rule makers: The Hollywood Reproter's Indie Power 50''; Hollywood Reporter; January 18, 2007