Focus Features

Production Begins on Gus Van Sant’s PROMISED LAND Starring Matt Damon and John Krasinski

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 24th, 2012 at 1:41 pm

Focus Features announced today that production has commenced on the drama Promised Land.  The screenplay was written by Matt Damon and John Krasinski, based on a story by Dave Eggers, and the project was poised to be Damon’s directorial debut before scheduling issues forced him to vacate the director’s chair. Damon’s Good Will Hunting director Gus Van Sant swooped in and swiftly took over directing duties, and now filming has begun.  Focus President Jeb Brody draws some very flattering comparisons when describing the project:

“Matt and John’s script is rich in Frank Capra-esque qualities, blending humor and heart while exploring the power of community in this day and age. An actor’s director like Gus will bring forth all the emotions in the story, which is a true passion project for everyone.”

In addition to Damon and Krasinski, the cast also includes Frances McDormand, Hal Holbrook, Rosemarie DeWitt, Scoot McNairy, and Titus Welliver.  Hit the jump to read the press release, which includes a plot synopsis.

New Images from MOONRISE KINGDOM, SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, and PARANORMAN

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 5th, 2012 at 1:10 pm

Focus Features has released new images for Wes Anderson‘s Moonrise Kingdom (premiering at Cannes, and then opening in limited release on May 25th),  Seeking a Friend for the End of the World starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley (opening June 22nd), and the stop-motion animated film Paranorman (opening in 3D on August 17th).  Note that the image from Moonrise Kingdom is probably promotional and not from the movie.

Hit the jump to check out the images, and click on the corresponding links to learn more about each movie.  You can also find synopses after the jump.

Universal and Focus Features Win Bidding War for Erotic Novel Series FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 26th, 2012 at 11:41 am

Universal Pictures and Focus Features have come out the victors in the battle for the “mommy porn” series Fifty Shades of Grey. It’s not uncommon for studios to vie for the film rights to certain hot properties, but Fifty Shades of Grey is different for a few reasons. 1. The three-part romance series is heavy on the S&M and erotica, 2. The books rose to prominence as ebooks, and 3. Author E.L. James developed the story for Fifty Shades of Grey from her own Fan fiction work inspired by Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight books. What’s that last part, you say? Oh yes, we now live in a world where Twilight fan fiction is turned into bestselling fiction, which itself is turned into a hot feature film property. Hit the jump for more.

Gary Oldman Talks THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, His Paralyzing Fear Of TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, CALL OF DUTY, and a Lot More

by Ron Messer    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 7:16 pm

Gary Oldman wrapped up his 3-day, 7-film retrospective at New York’s Landmark Sunshine Cinema with a fun, extended Q&A after Wednesday night’s screening of his Oscar-nominated performance in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

The first time Academy Award nominee fielded questions from a theater filled with hundreds of his fans with nearly an hour.  Oldman also hung around for autographs, pictures and additional questions.  Hit the jump for stories from the set of The Dark Knight Rises, his paralyzing doubt on Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and what he thought while watching Heath Ledger as The Joker.

Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall to Star in Untitled International Thriller

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 2nd, 2012 at 11:22 am

Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall are set to team up for an untitled international suspense thriller. Focus Features and Working Title films are set to produce the flick, with Boy A helmer John Crowley onboard to direct. The film centers on two ex-lovers who “find their loyalties tested and their lives at risk when they are joined together on the defense team in a terrorism trial.” The film is described as a nail-biting thriller that also plays as an emotional roller coaster. Bana and Hall are stellar performers and the script comes from Eastern Promises scribe Steven Knight, so this one has the ingredients for quite the flick. Production is set to begin in April.

Bana has a number of projects on the horizon, including the thriller Blackbird, the heist pic Brilliant, and he’s next set to play Elvis Presley in Elvis & Nixon. As for Hall, she’ll next be seen in Stephen Frears’ gambling dramedy Lay the Favorite.  Hit the jump for the press release.

Sundance 2012: Fox Searchlight Acquires BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD; Focus Features Picks Up FOR A GOOD TIME CALL…

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 24th, 2012 at 2:49 pm

While the 2012 Sundance Film Festival is only a few days in, more than a few favorites are starting to emerge. Earlier today Sony Pictures Classics picked up the Rashida Jones comedy Celeste and Jesse Forever and Fox Searchlight acquired crowd-favorite The Surrogate (John Hawkes is apparently amazing in the latter). Now Fox Searchlight has made yet another high profile acquisition, as they’ve picked up U.S. rights to Benh Zeitlin’s fantastical drama Beasts of the Southern Wild. The film centers on a six-year-old on the brink of orphanhood who lives in a forgotten but defiant bayou community cut off from the rest of the world.

The pic has been picking up some serious buzz ever since its first screening. Matt called it a must-see and say it’s “a movie unlike anything you’ve seen in recent years.” You can read his full review here. Fox Searchlight plans to release the film this year. Hit the jump for acquisition news regarding the comedy For a Good Time Call… and to read the full press release regarding both films.

Release Date Shuffle: Relativity Pushes THE RAVEN and HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET; Focus Features Moves SEEKING A FRIEND

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 24th, 2012 at 11:30 am

We’ve got a few release date changes to report this afternoon. Briefly:

• Relativity has pushed The Raven starring John Cusack back from March to April 27th.
• Relativity’s House at the End of the Street starring Jennifer Lawrence moves from April to September 21st.
• Focus Features has pushed the apocalyptic dramedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World starring Steve Carell back from April to June 22nd.

Hit the jump for all the details.

Focus Features Picks up Zombie Comedy JUAN OF THE DEAD for U.S. Release

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 2nd, 2012 at 10:04 am

The Cuban zombie comedy Juan of the Dead played at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and now it has been picked up for a North American release by Focus Features’ new digital distribution arm, Focus World.  The eponymous character is 40-year-old slacker who makes zombie lemonade out of zombie lemons when a zombie outbreak hits Cuba and he’s able to make some scratch by slaying families’ fresh undead.  Some critics have seen it as a political allegory, but director Alejandro Brugues says its commentary on Cuba is how its citizens manage to find a way to deal with poverty.

According to Variety, Focus World plans to release premieres titles across video-on-demand and electronic sell-thru platforms, including cable/satellite providers, iTunes, Xbox 360, Playstation and YouTube.  However, Juan won’t go directly to digital distribution.  The movie will play U.S. festivals, and begin a theatrical run in April from a separate distributor.  I’ve heard it’s a fun, interesting flick, and I look forward to see it in the near future.

Los Angeles Readers: Focus Features Hosting 6-Film Gary Oldman Retrospective at ArcLight Hollywood

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 27th, 2011 at 2:22 pm

One of the greatest (and versatile) actors actors today is receiving a much-deserved retrospective. Focus Features is hosting a three-night series honoring the work of Gary Oldman with screenings of The Contender, Dracula, JFK, Prick Up Your Ears, and Sid and Nancy, culminating in a showing of this year’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The Tinker Tailor screening will be followed by a live Q&A with the actor, hosted by KCRW’s Matt Holzman. Oldman’s a great talent and I’m immensely jealous of those able to attend. I’d love to see what Oldman has to say not only about his work in Sid and Nancy and JFK, but other films like The Fifth Element and True Romance.

The first screening will be held on Monday, January 9th at the ArcLight Hollywood, with the other screenings set to follow on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tickets are free, but you must RSVP through OldmanRSVP.com. Oldman’s work in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is picking up a good amount of Oscar buzz, and he’ll be seen next year in The Wettest County and The Dark Knight Rises. Hit the jump to read the full press release regarding the event.

Focus Features Sets Release Dates for Wes Anderson’s MOONRISE KINGDOM and Other Upcoming 2012 Films

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 16th, 2011 at 10:23 am

Focus Features has set 2012 dates for Wes Anderson‘s Moonrise Kingdom, Paul Weitz‘s Being Flynn, and the apocalyptic rom-com Seeking a Friend for the End of the World starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley.  According to TOH,  Being Flynn rolls out first and will hit theaters on March 2nd.  Paul Dano stars as a young writer who takes in his estranged father (Robert De Niro) when he finds him at a homeless shelter.  The film also stars Julianne Moore, Olivia Thirlby, Dale Dickey, and Lili Taylor.  Seeking a Friend hits on April 20th and focus on two people who don’t want to be alone as the end of days approaches.  The ensemble also includes Patton Oswalt, Connie Britton, Rob Huebel, Melanie Lynskey, Gillian Jacobs, Derek Luke, and Lindsay Sloane.  Finally, Moonrise Kingdom opens in limited release on May 25th.  The film focuses on two teens fall in love and run away, which turns their town upside down (and possibly for the better).  The film stars Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Harvey Keitel.

Hit the jump for a recap of what competition these films will have on their release dates.

Focus Features to Distribute Joe Wright’s ANNA KARENINA Starring Keira Knightley and Jude Law; Filming Begins in UK and Russia This Month

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 8th, 2011 at 5:37 pm

Director Joe Wright’s (Hanna) adaptation of the classic Leo Tolstoy novel Anna Karenina is gearing up for production. Focus Features will distribute the drama, which is set to star Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Johnson, Kelly Macdonald, Matthew Macfadyen, Emily Watson, and Domhnall Gleeson.  The tragic love story follows Knightley as the title character, and the official synopsis is as follows:

The story unfolds in its original late-19^th-century Russia high-society setting and powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart, from the passion between adulterers to the bond between a mother and her children. As Anna (Ms. Knightley) questions her happiness, change comes to her family, friends, and community.

The film is set to begin production later this month in the U.K. and Russia, with an eye towards a fall/winter 2012 release date. Hit the jump to read the full press release.

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Kicked Back to December 9th

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 29th, 2011 at 12:10 pm

I can’t believe we missed this tragic news item.  Over the weekend, Deadline‘s Pete Hammond reported that Focus Features wants to give Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy a serious awards season push.  That’s not the tragic part.  The tragic part is that they’re moving the film back from November 18th to December 9th in order to do so.  To be fair, the November 18th date wasn’t easy.  Between The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and Happy Feet Two, it’s sad to say that an adult spy thriller probably wouldn’t make much headway at the box office and it would fade away in the shadow of the heavy hitting December releases.  It should have a much easier go on December 9th where its only big competition is the rom-com New Year’s Eve, the Jonah Hill R-rated comedy The Sitter, and depending on the width of the release, Jason Reitman’s Young Adult.

If you live in the UK you’re still in good shape because the film is set for September 16th.  For those unfamiliar with the movie, hit the jump for a plot synopsis.  Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy stars Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciaran Hinds, Mark Strong, Svetlana Khodchenko, Toby Jones, John Hurt, Stephen Graham, and Kathy Burke.

Jon Brion to Score Laika’s 3D Stop-Motion Animated Feature PARANORMAN

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 14th, 2011 at 1:09 pm

Musician Jon Brion has some great scores to his name.  He’s done subtle, moving music for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Synecdoche, New York, but can just as easily do light-hearted upbeat work like he did with Step Brothers, Other Guys, and my personal favorite, I Heart Huckabees.  Now Laika and Focus Features have sent out a press release annoucning that Brion will provide the score for their upcoming 3D stop-motion animated comedy Paranorman.  The film revolves around Norman (voiced by Let Me In‘s Kodi Smit-McPhee), a young boy who can speak to the dead and must use his abilities to save his town from zombies, ghosts, witches, and dim-witted adults.

Hit the jump for the press release, which includes a statement from Brion on why he decided to make Paranorman his first animated film.  Paranorman is due out August 17, 2012.

Focus Features Sets TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY for November 18th

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 1st, 2011 at 1:47 pm

If you were wondering whether or not Tomas Alfredson’s adaptation of John Le Carre’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was being set up for an awards run, you now have your answer.  Variety reports that Focus Features has set the spy thriller for November 18th.  The story centers on “George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a veteran spy pulled out of semi-retirement to ferret out a Soviet agent in MI6.”  Oldman is already receiving early buzz on his performance and he’s bolstered by a strong supporting cast that includes Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Ciarán Hinds, Stephen Graham, and Benedict Cumberbatch.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see the film premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September, but nothing has been announced on that front.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy has some tough competition on November 18th, but it’s not going for the same audience.  Also opening that weekend is The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and Happy Feet Two, which obviously are going for after a different demographic than Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.

JANE EYRE Director Tapped to Helm Civil War Heist Film NO BLOOD, NO GUTS, NO GLORY

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 24th, 2011 at 3:29 pm

Focus Features has set Cary Fukunaga (Jane Eyre) to direct its Civil War-centered heist film No Blood, No Guts, No Glory. Variety reports that Fukunaga is writing the screenplay alongside Chase Palmer (Dune). Palmer’s script landed on the 2009 Black List and follows a spy and a group of Union soldiers who board a train to Georgia in disguise in hopes of pulling off a heist that apparently would bring the Civil War to an end.

The story has been described as The Dirty Dozen set during the Civil War, and is based on the real-life commando mission that inspired the Buster Keaton flick The General. The report also states that Fukunaga had been eyed as a possible contender to helm Fox’s The Wolverine, but he’s no longer in contention. I was quite impressed with his work in Jane Eyre. He definitely understands story and mood, and seeing him take on the Civil War era is certainly an intriguing prospect.

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