Welcome to Negromancer (in the second age of Obama), a ComicBookBin blog (www.comicbookbin.com). This is rebirth of the former movie review website as a movie review and movie news website and blog.
All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Friday, November 30, 2012
Streisand and Rogen to Talk "The Guilt Trip"
BARBRA STREISAND AND SETH ROGEN TAKE “THE GUILT TRIP” TO 20 CITIES
THE HOLIDAY FILM FROM PARAMOUNT WILL SCREEN EXCLUSIVELY AT AMC THEATRES ON DECEMBER 2ND IN SELECT MARKETS, FOLLOWED BY A LIVE STREAMING Q&A WITH THE FILM’S STARS
Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc., and AMC Theaters have partnered to bring the upcoming holiday comedy “THE GUILT TRIP” to audiences in 20 cities across the country in advance of its theatrical release on December 19th.
These exclusive screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s stars Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen, to be streamed live via satellite from Los Angeles.
The screenings and subsequent live Q&A will take place December 2nd at participating AMC Theaters in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Miami, Boston, Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Kansas City, Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.
For more information and to reserve your seat, please visit http://www.gofobo.com/rsvp/landing/11245221
“THE GUILT TRIP” stars Rogen as Andy Brewster, an inventor about to embark on the road trip of a lifetime, and who better to accompany him than his overbearing mother Joyce, played by Barbra Streisand. After deciding to start his adventure with a quick visit at mom’s, Andy is guilted into bringing her along for the ride. Across 3,000 miles of ever-changing landscape, he is constantly aggravated by her antics, but over time he comes to realize that their lives have more in common than he originally thought. His mother’s advice might end up being exactly what he needs. The Guilt Trip is directed by Anne Fletcher, written by Dan Fogelman and produced by Lorne Michaels, John Goldwyn and Evan Goldberg.
“THE GUILT TRIP” opens everywhere December 19th, 2012. To learn more about the movie, visit http://www.guilttripmovie.com
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.
THE HOLIDAY FILM FROM PARAMOUNT WILL SCREEN EXCLUSIVELY AT AMC THEATRES ON DECEMBER 2ND IN SELECT MARKETS, FOLLOWED BY A LIVE STREAMING Q&A WITH THE FILM’S STARS
Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc., and AMC Theaters have partnered to bring the upcoming holiday comedy “THE GUILT TRIP” to audiences in 20 cities across the country in advance of its theatrical release on December 19th.
These exclusive screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s stars Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen, to be streamed live via satellite from Los Angeles.
The screenings and subsequent live Q&A will take place December 2nd at participating AMC Theaters in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Miami, Boston, Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Kansas City, Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.
For more information and to reserve your seat, please visit http://www.gofobo.com/rsvp/landing/11245221
“THE GUILT TRIP” stars Rogen as Andy Brewster, an inventor about to embark on the road trip of a lifetime, and who better to accompany him than his overbearing mother Joyce, played by Barbra Streisand. After deciding to start his adventure with a quick visit at mom’s, Andy is guilted into bringing her along for the ride. Across 3,000 miles of ever-changing landscape, he is constantly aggravated by her antics, but over time he comes to realize that their lives have more in common than he originally thought. His mother’s advice might end up being exactly what he needs. The Guilt Trip is directed by Anne Fletcher, written by Dan Fogelman and produced by Lorne Michaels, John Goldwyn and Evan Goldberg.
“THE GUILT TRIP” opens everywhere December 19th, 2012. To learn more about the movie, visit http://www.guilttripmovie.com
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.
Review: "Justice League: Doom" Goes Boom
Justice League: Doom (2012) – straight-to-video
Running minutes: 77 minutes (1 hour, 17 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of violent action
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: Lauren Montgomery
WRITER: Dwayne McDuffie (from a comic book by Mark Waid)
EDITOR: Christopher D. Lozinski
COMPOSER: Christopher Drake
ANIMATION STUDIO: Telecom Animation Film
ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION
Starring: (voices) Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Susan Eisenberg, Nathan Fillion, Carl Lumbly, Michael Rosenbaum, Bumper Robinson, Carlos Alazraqui, Claudia Black, Paul Blackthorne, Olivia d’Abo, Alexis Denisof, Phil Morris, Dee Bradley Baker, Grey DeLisle, and Robin Atkin Downes
Justice League: Doom is a 2012 direct-to-video superhero animated film from Warner Bros. Animation. Starring DC Comics’ ultimate superhero team, the Justice League, this is also the 13th feature in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. Bruce W. Timm is an executive producer on the film, and Dwayne McDuffie wrote the screenplay before his death in February 2011.
Justice League: Doom is loosely based on the comic book story arc, “Tower of Babel,” which was published in the former Justice League comic book series, JLA #43-46 (July 2000 to October 2000 cover dates). The story was written by Mark Waid and drawn by artists Howard Porter and Steve Scott. A group of villains launch a highly-successful attack against the members of the Justice League using secret information compiled on the heroes by Batman.
The film begins with the Justice League beating up the Royal Flush Gang, but in the aftermath of this successful mission, the League doesn’t know that it is being spied upon – especially Batman (Kevin Conroy). The immortal villain, Vandal Savage (Phil Morris), is back, and he has a plot to destroy the world as we know it. To that end, he creates the Legion of Doom to make sure that the Justice League does not stand in his way.
Savage gathers supervillians who are individual enemies of particular members of the Justice League, and he shows each villain how to defeat his or her superhero nemesis. Superman (Tim Daly) takes on Metallo (Paul Blackthorne). Batman fights Bane (Carlos Alazraqui). Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg) cat-fights Cheetah (Claudia Black). Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) renews his struggle with Star Sapphire (Olivia d’Abo). Flash (Michael Rosenbaum) tries to outrace the schemes of Mirror Master (Alexis Denisof). Martian Manhunter (Carl Lumbly) meets his match in Ma'alefa'ak (Carl Lumbly). This time, however, the individual members of the League are losing to the people they usually beat.
I find that of all the DC Universe Animated Original Movies, I’m partial to the ones featuring the Justice League or Batman, and Justice League: Doom features both. Although there may be some holes in the plot regarding the Legion of Doom’s attack on the Justice League, the film is very well written, in terms of a superhero action movie. The action in the film works in such a way that it captures the spirit and energy of a superhero comic book.
The animation is of a high quality so that the film is eye-candy, at least to me. I love the characters, especially Bane, Ma'alefa'ak, and Mirror Master. The voice performances are also of a high quality, although I found Nathan Fillion’s performance as Green Lantern a tad bit dry. Carl Lumbly is superb as both Martian Manhunter and Ma'alefa'ak; these characters should have their own movie, if Lumbly can reprise the roles. To put it plainly and simply, Justice League: Doom is fun.
9 of 10
A+
Friday, September 21, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Robert Zemeckis to Be Honored at Palm Springs Film Fest
ROBERT ZEMECKIS TO RECEIVE DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD AT 24th ANNUAL PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS GALA
The 24th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Academy Award® winning director Robert Zemeckis with the Director of the Year Award for Flight. Presented by Cartier, the Awards Gala will be held Saturday, January 5, at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Hosted by Mary Hart, the Awards Gala will also present awards to previously announced honorees Helen Hunt and Naomi Watts. The Festival runs January 3-14.
“For 35 years, Robert Zemeckis has been creating some of the most iconic and indelible images in cinema, garnering international acclaim as a filmmaker of extraordinary vision,” said Film Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “In his latest work, Flight, Zemeckis continues to tell fascinating stories by combining strong characters with groundbreaking visual effects, which includes one of the most memorable plane crashes in cinematic history, while following the compelling emotional journey of Denzel Washington’s character of an emotionally damaged man dealing with addiction. For these achievements the Palm Springs International Film Festival is honored to present the 2013 Director of the Year Award to Robert Zemeckis.”
Past Director of the Year honorees include Stephen Daldry, Ang Lee, Anthony Minghella, Alexander Payne, Sean Penn, Jason Reitman and David O. Russell.
Currently in theatres, Paramount Pictures’ dramatic thriller Flight, stars Denzel Washington as Captain Whip Whitaker, a seasoned airline pilot who miraculously crash lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly every soul on board. Afterwards, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, more questions than answers arise as to who or what was really at fault and what really happened on that plane. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by John Gatins, the film also stars Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, Brian Geraghty, Tamara Tunie, Nadine Velazquez, James Badge Dale and Melissa Leo.
Robert Zemeckis won an Academy Award®, a Golden Globe and a Director’s Guild of America Award for Best Director for the hugely successful Forrest Gump. The film’s numerous honors also included Academy Awards® for Best Actor (Tom Hanks) and Best Picture. Zemeckis has also directed Cast Away, What Lies Beneath, Back to the Future, Back to the Future, Part II and Part III, Contact, Used Cars, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol. Presently, Zemeckis is at work on Yellow Submarine, for Image Movers Digital and The Disney Studios.
About The Palm Springs International Film Festival
The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) is one of the largest film festivals in North America, welcoming 135,000 attendees each year for its lineup of new and celebrated international features and documentaries. The Festival is also known for its annual Black Tie Awards Gala, honoring the best achievements of the filmic year by a celebrated list of talents who, in recent years, have included Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Danny Boyle, George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron and Kate Winslet.
The 24th annual Palm Springs International FilmFestival is presented by Title Sponsor, the City of Palm Springs, which is celebrating its 75 year anniversary in 2013. Presenting Sponsors are Spencer’s, The Desert Sun, Entertainment Tonight, Wells Fargo, Regal Entertainment Group, Bank of America and Wintec. Major sponsors are Panavision, Ocean Properties Development, Raymond Lawrence, Chihuly, Telefilm Canada. The Festival’s Awards Gala is presented by Cartier and sponsored by Mercedes-Benz.
The 24th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Academy Award® winning director Robert Zemeckis with the Director of the Year Award for Flight. Presented by Cartier, the Awards Gala will be held Saturday, January 5, at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Hosted by Mary Hart, the Awards Gala will also present awards to previously announced honorees Helen Hunt and Naomi Watts. The Festival runs January 3-14.
“For 35 years, Robert Zemeckis has been creating some of the most iconic and indelible images in cinema, garnering international acclaim as a filmmaker of extraordinary vision,” said Film Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “In his latest work, Flight, Zemeckis continues to tell fascinating stories by combining strong characters with groundbreaking visual effects, which includes one of the most memorable plane crashes in cinematic history, while following the compelling emotional journey of Denzel Washington’s character of an emotionally damaged man dealing with addiction. For these achievements the Palm Springs International Film Festival is honored to present the 2013 Director of the Year Award to Robert Zemeckis.”
Past Director of the Year honorees include Stephen Daldry, Ang Lee, Anthony Minghella, Alexander Payne, Sean Penn, Jason Reitman and David O. Russell.
Currently in theatres, Paramount Pictures’ dramatic thriller Flight, stars Denzel Washington as Captain Whip Whitaker, a seasoned airline pilot who miraculously crash lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly every soul on board. Afterwards, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, more questions than answers arise as to who or what was really at fault and what really happened on that plane. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by John Gatins, the film also stars Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, Brian Geraghty, Tamara Tunie, Nadine Velazquez, James Badge Dale and Melissa Leo.
Robert Zemeckis won an Academy Award®, a Golden Globe and a Director’s Guild of America Award for Best Director for the hugely successful Forrest Gump. The film’s numerous honors also included Academy Awards® for Best Actor (Tom Hanks) and Best Picture. Zemeckis has also directed Cast Away, What Lies Beneath, Back to the Future, Back to the Future, Part II and Part III, Contact, Used Cars, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol. Presently, Zemeckis is at work on Yellow Submarine, for Image Movers Digital and The Disney Studios.
About The Palm Springs International Film Festival
The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) is one of the largest film festivals in North America, welcoming 135,000 attendees each year for its lineup of new and celebrated international features and documentaries. The Festival is also known for its annual Black Tie Awards Gala, honoring the best achievements of the filmic year by a celebrated list of talents who, in recent years, have included Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Danny Boyle, George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron and Kate Winslet.
The 24th annual Palm Springs International FilmFestival is presented by Title Sponsor, the City of Palm Springs, which is celebrating its 75 year anniversary in 2013. Presenting Sponsors are Spencer’s, The Desert Sun, Entertainment Tonight, Wells Fargo, Regal Entertainment Group, Bank of America and Wintec. Major sponsors are Panavision, Ocean Properties Development, Raymond Lawrence, Chihuly, Telefilm Canada. The Festival’s Awards Gala is presented by Cartier and sponsored by Mercedes-Benz.
Review: "Batman: Year One" is a Dark Knight That Actually Rises
Batman: Year One (2011) – straight-to-video
Running minutes: 64 minutes (1 hour, 4 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence, and for some sexual material
DIRECTORS: Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu
WRITERS: Tab Murphy (based upon the story by Frank Miller and the characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger)
PRODUCERS: Lauren Montgomery
EDITOR: Margaret Hou
COMPOSER: Christopher Drake
ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION with elements of drama
Starring: (voices) Bryan Cranston, Ben McKenzie, Eliza Dushku, Jon Polito, Alex Rocco, Katee Sackhoff, Jeff Bennett, Grey DeLisle, Fred Tatasciore, Steve Blum, Robin Atkin Downes, Keith Ferguson, Stephen Root, and Michael Gough
Batman: Year One is a 2011 direct-to-video superhero animated film from Warner Bros. Animation. Starring the DC Comics character, Batman, this is also the 12th feature in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. Executive produced by Bruce Timm, this film is adapted from the “Batman: Year One” story arc written by Frank Miller (300) and drawn by David Mazzuchelli and originally published in the comic book series, Batman #404-407 (February to May 1987 cover date).
As the film opens, Bruce Wayne (Ben McKenzie) returns to Gotham City after a 12-year absence from his hometown. Meanwhile, policeman detective James Gordon (Bryan Cranston) and his pregnant wife, Barbara (Grey DeLisle), move to Gotham from Chicago. Gordon quickly discovers how corrupt the Gotham City Police Department is after meeting his new partner, Detective Arnold Flass (Fred Tatasciore), who savagely assaults civilians and accepts bribes from the mob. Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb (Jon Polito) seems more like a kingpin of crime than a police commissioner.
Bruce Wayne has decided to fight the street crime that took his parents lives and to put an end to the corruption of the city’s elites. Wayne’s first mission in his war on crime goes badly, but he is soon inspired to put on a weird costume that strikes fear into the hearts of criminals. Soon, the media is calling this mysterious vigilante figure, “The Batman.” Inspired by The Batman, Selina Kyle (Eliza Dushku), a prostitute, puts on a costume and becomes The Catwoman.
After watching the first 10 minutes of Batman: Year One, I didn’t hold out much hope that it would amount to much. However, it turned out to be a very entertaining film. The animation is good, not great, but the script is excellent. The writing captures the motivations of the characters and hits the conflicts dead center. It makes clear the reasons for disputes and the consequences that will result depending on how these clashes are settled. The conflicts, personal strife, and internal battles drive the drama in Batman: Year One.
When it comes to Batman: Year One, the Dark Knight rises, indeed.
7 of 10
B+
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
"Star Trek Into Darkness" Plot Revealed?
The plot for the upcoming "Star Trek Into Darkness" has been kept secret. Monday night, Paramount Pictures snuck a plot synopsis for the sequel to its 2009 hit, Star Trek, onto its media site. It is only four paragraphs long and it is still vague, but it's better than nothing. Actor Benedict Cumberbatch signed on to play a villain, but there have been no details on his character. For your reading enjoyment:
In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes "Star Trek Into Darkness."
When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.
With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.
As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.
That's it. "Star Trek Into Darkness" stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, John Cho and Benedict Cumberbatch and is due in theaters on May 17, 2013.
In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes "Star Trek Into Darkness."
When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.
With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.
As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.
That's it. "Star Trek Into Darkness" stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, John Cho and Benedict Cumberbatch and is due in theaters on May 17, 2013.
Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Stay Together
Warner Bros. Entertainment and Village Roadshow Pictures Extend Partnership Through 2017
Village Roadshow Pictures Secures $1.125 Billion Film Production Facility and Celebrates 15-Year Anniversary
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Entertainment and Village Roadshow Pictures Group (VRPG) have extended their long-standing partnership and will continue to co-produce and co-finance films through the end of 2017. In concert with the Warner Bros. deal, VRPG also renewed and upsized its now 15-year film production facility to $1.125 billion through the end of 2017 to finance its future slate of motion pictures. JPMorgan Chase and Rabobank continue as joint syndication agents.
“We now have the firepower of the financing locked away, the best management in the business and the renewal of our long-term relationship with Warner Bros. which puts us in fantastic shape. Warner Bros. continues to be the industry leader in production, distribution and marketing,” said Graham Burke, Chairman of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group (VREG).
“We have had a long, successful relationship with Village Roadshow, and we are pleased they will continue to be our partner in making great movies,” said Barry Meyer, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros.
“We are pleased to have accomplished our strategic goal of closing the financing hand in hand with the extension of our Warner Bros. deal. We are fortunate to continue our partnership with a great studio and grateful to have a diverse group of investors on board,” said Greg Basser, CEO of VREG.
Celebrating its 15th anniversary, VRPG is one of the industry’s leading producers and financiers of studio released motion pictures, amassing a library of 72 films, 68 of which were released in partnership with Warner Bros. – representing the studio’s longest continuous relationship with an independent film financing and production company.
“Working together, our companies have produced and released many popular and successful films, and we expect that to continue into the future with this agreement,” said Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.
“We look forward to expanding upon the solid 15-year foundation and continuing to grow our slate of tent pole and star-driven films under the Warner banner,” said Bruce Berman, Chairman and CEO of Village Roadshow Pictures. “We’re excited to start the New Year with action-packed 'Gangster Squad' releasing in January followed by the highly anticipated summer event film 'The Great Gatsby' in May.”
Warner Bros. and VRPG will continue to collaborate on high caliber, star-driven films, which have resulted in blockbuster hits including the “Sherlock Holmes,” “Ocean’s” and “Matrix” franchises and Academy Award animated picture winner “Happy Feet.”
Upcoming releases include “Gangster Squad” under the direction of Ruben Fleischer, starring Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone and Sean Penn (U.S. release on January 11, 2013), and “The Great Gatsby” under the direction of Baz Luhrmann, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire (U.S. release on May 10, 2013).
Films currently in production include “LEGO: The Movie,” an animated feature film adventure starring Will Arnett, Will Ferrell and Morgan Freeman directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller; “All You Need is Kill,” an epic sci-fi thriller starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt directed by Doug Liman; and “Mad Max: Fury Road,” an action adventure starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy directed by George Miller.
About Village Roadshow Pictures Group
Village Roadshow Pictures Group is a leading independent co-producer and co-financier of major Hollywood motion pictures, having produced 72 films since its establishment in 1997 including, as co-productions with Warner Bros., “The Matrix” Trilogy, The “Sherlock Holmes” franchise, “I am Legend,” the “Ocean’s” series, “Happy Feet,” “Mystic River,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Get Smart,” “Sex and the City 2” and “Gran Torino.”
VRPG self-distributes its filmed entertainment through affiliates in several territories around the world, including Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
About Village Roadshow Entertainment Group
Village Roadshow Entertainment Group is a leading independent global entertainment company in the business of building leading, content-rich companies within the entertainment industry. It employs innovative strategies to develop, acquire and deliver intellectual property rights with timeless appeal, while taking advantage of group-wide strategic and operational efficiencies. VREG is the holding company of Village Roadshow Pictures, Village Roadshow Entertainment Group Asia and Concord Music Group.
Village Roadshow Limited, a 47.6% shareholder in VREG, is a leading international publicly listed entertainment and media company based out of Melbourne, Australia. VRL has been the exclusive theatrical distributor for Warner Bros. in Australia for over 41 years.
Village Roadshow Pictures Secures $1.125 Billion Film Production Facility and Celebrates 15-Year Anniversary
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Entertainment and Village Roadshow Pictures Group (VRPG) have extended their long-standing partnership and will continue to co-produce and co-finance films through the end of 2017. In concert with the Warner Bros. deal, VRPG also renewed and upsized its now 15-year film production facility to $1.125 billion through the end of 2017 to finance its future slate of motion pictures. JPMorgan Chase and Rabobank continue as joint syndication agents.
“We now have the firepower of the financing locked away, the best management in the business and the renewal of our long-term relationship with Warner Bros. which puts us in fantastic shape. Warner Bros. continues to be the industry leader in production, distribution and marketing,” said Graham Burke, Chairman of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group (VREG).
“We have had a long, successful relationship with Village Roadshow, and we are pleased they will continue to be our partner in making great movies,” said Barry Meyer, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros.
“We are pleased to have accomplished our strategic goal of closing the financing hand in hand with the extension of our Warner Bros. deal. We are fortunate to continue our partnership with a great studio and grateful to have a diverse group of investors on board,” said Greg Basser, CEO of VREG.
Celebrating its 15th anniversary, VRPG is one of the industry’s leading producers and financiers of studio released motion pictures, amassing a library of 72 films, 68 of which were released in partnership with Warner Bros. – representing the studio’s longest continuous relationship with an independent film financing and production company.
“Working together, our companies have produced and released many popular and successful films, and we expect that to continue into the future with this agreement,” said Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.
“We look forward to expanding upon the solid 15-year foundation and continuing to grow our slate of tent pole and star-driven films under the Warner banner,” said Bruce Berman, Chairman and CEO of Village Roadshow Pictures. “We’re excited to start the New Year with action-packed 'Gangster Squad' releasing in January followed by the highly anticipated summer event film 'The Great Gatsby' in May.”
Warner Bros. and VRPG will continue to collaborate on high caliber, star-driven films, which have resulted in blockbuster hits including the “Sherlock Holmes,” “Ocean’s” and “Matrix” franchises and Academy Award animated picture winner “Happy Feet.”
Upcoming releases include “Gangster Squad” under the direction of Ruben Fleischer, starring Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone and Sean Penn (U.S. release on January 11, 2013), and “The Great Gatsby” under the direction of Baz Luhrmann, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire (U.S. release on May 10, 2013).
Films currently in production include “LEGO: The Movie,” an animated feature film adventure starring Will Arnett, Will Ferrell and Morgan Freeman directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller; “All You Need is Kill,” an epic sci-fi thriller starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt directed by Doug Liman; and “Mad Max: Fury Road,” an action adventure starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy directed by George Miller.
About Village Roadshow Pictures Group
Village Roadshow Pictures Group is a leading independent co-producer and co-financier of major Hollywood motion pictures, having produced 72 films since its establishment in 1997 including, as co-productions with Warner Bros., “The Matrix” Trilogy, The “Sherlock Holmes” franchise, “I am Legend,” the “Ocean’s” series, “Happy Feet,” “Mystic River,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Get Smart,” “Sex and the City 2” and “Gran Torino.”
VRPG self-distributes its filmed entertainment through affiliates in several territories around the world, including Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
About Village Roadshow Entertainment Group
Village Roadshow Entertainment Group is a leading independent global entertainment company in the business of building leading, content-rich companies within the entertainment industry. It employs innovative strategies to develop, acquire and deliver intellectual property rights with timeless appeal, while taking advantage of group-wide strategic and operational efficiencies. VREG is the holding company of Village Roadshow Pictures, Village Roadshow Entertainment Group Asia and Concord Music Group.
Village Roadshow Limited, a 47.6% shareholder in VREG, is a leading international publicly listed entertainment and media company based out of Melbourne, Australia. VRL has been the exclusive theatrical distributor for Warner Bros. in Australia for over 41 years.
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