Mexican Directors Ink $100M Studio Deal (Pan's Labyrinth, Babel, Children of Men)
05-19-07 | 03:52 PM
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Mexican Directors Ink $100M Studio Deal (Pan's Labyrinth, Babel, Children of Men)
http://film.guardian.co.uk/apnews/st...645866,00.html
The three Mexican directors who shook up Hollywood last February with 16 Academy Award nominations have formed a moviemaking partnership with Universal Pictures worth a reported $100 million.
Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu will produce five movies, some of them in Spanish, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
``These filmmakers truly represent the importance of cultural diversity for the global audience,'' said David Linde, co-chairman of Universal Pictures.
The trio, who individually directed ``Pan's Labyrinth'', ``Babel'' and ``Children of Men,'' will call their production company Cha Cha Cha.
Universal plans to distribute the trio's films abroad. A U.S.-Canadian distributor was not named. The total cost of the films could reach $100 million, according to the Times.
The three have marketed themselves together since their stunning Oscar success.
Del Toro directed ``Pan's Labyrinth,'' which won three Oscars and was nominated for six. Gonzalez Inarritu's ``Babel'' was nominated in seven categories, including best picture and best director, and won for best original score. Cuaron's ``Children of Men'' was nominated in three categories.
Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu will produce five movies, some of them in Spanish, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
``These filmmakers truly represent the importance of cultural diversity for the global audience,'' said David Linde, co-chairman of Universal Pictures.
The trio, who individually directed ``Pan's Labyrinth'', ``Babel'' and ``Children of Men,'' will call their production company Cha Cha Cha.
Universal plans to distribute the trio's films abroad. A U.S.-Canadian distributor was not named. The total cost of the films could reach $100 million, according to the Times.
The three have marketed themselves together since their stunning Oscar success.
Del Toro directed ``Pan's Labyrinth,'' which won three Oscars and was nominated for six. Gonzalez Inarritu's ``Babel'' was nominated in seven categories, including best picture and best director, and won for best original score. Cuaron's ``Children of Men'' was nominated in three categories.
05-19-07 | 09:47 PM
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Carlos Cuarón and Rodrigo García are also part of the deal.
05-19-07 | 10:33 PM
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Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt
I absolutely love all 3 of those guys. But Universal makes shitty DVDs so this news pretty much blows.
Sorry, but for me the fact that three highly regarded filmmakers are getting $$$ to make more films is not news that "pretty much blows".
05-19-07 | 11:13 PM
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Originally Posted by marty888
Huh? So they shouldn't get financing for movies because the movies may end up on shitty DVDs?
Sorry, but for me the fact that three highly regarded filmmakers are getting $$$ to make more films is not news that "pretty much blows".
Sorry, but for me the fact that three highly regarded filmmakers are getting $$$ to make more films is not news that "pretty much blows".
05-20-07 | 03:40 AM
#10
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt
It's not like these guys can't get financing. Universal just decided to lock them up.
And if someone argues my point with, "Well the press release says: A U.S.-Canadian distributor was not named," that pretty much means that Universal, Focus, or Rogue -- depending on what type of films they're making -- will be the distributors. I'll put some good money down that Focus will release a majority of these films.
05-20-07 | 09:12 AM
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If US studios are going to give up on these guys because their movies aren't profitable, I'd rather have that decision made after some studio decides to throw $100MM at them and they make a bunch of masterpieces. 
05-21-07 | 05:40 PM
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This is amazing news. These guys are a fantastic set of directors who are just as comfortable doing large and bombastic blockbusters (Harry Potter 3, Hellboy, Blade 2) as they are doing low key provocative masterpieces (Y Tu Mama, Babel).
And as my top two films of last year were directed by two of these guys (Children of Men and Pan's Labyrinth) I couldn't be any more excited.
And as my top two films of last year were directed by two of these guys (Children of Men and Pan's Labyrinth) I couldn't be any more excited.
05-21-07 | 07:23 PM
#16
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Good news in my book, hopefully we'll see The Orphanage in the US a little faster than other similar flicks (Del Toro is a producer on it) 
