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MAJOR DEAL USHERS IN NEW ERA
UNIVERSAL LOOKS FORWARD TO WARNER PARTNERSHIP
DISNEY’S NEW STAR SHINES
NATIVES LANDS
RAISING HELL, AGAIN
FATHER FIGURES
WHITE RIOT, A RIOT TO OWN
POLY TURNS WORLD DAYGLO
SISTERS DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES
EUREKA’S MAY RELEASES COME IN FROM THE COLD
TIME AND TIDE WAITS FOR NO MAN
AT THE MOVIES
SITE OF THE WEEK
TWEET OF THE WEEK
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
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The industry opens a new chapter on Monday March 1 as the deal between Universal and Warner kicks in and the latter takes over sales and distribution for the former as part of the global deal between the two studios which will see them sharing distribution in territories around the world, with Warner handling the duties in some, such as the UK, and Universal in others. So in Europe, this means Warner handling not just these shores, but Italy and Benelux too, while Universal is handling the distribution in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as further afield territories such as Japan. Of course, while the deal makes perfect sense in business terms, there are some casualties, not least the staff losing their jobs as a result of the move. Universal md Ian Foster paid tribute to those staff, particularly the Universal sales team, many of whom will be moving on now Warner is holding the reins. We’ll have more on the deal in the coming weeks, with comment from others in the UK and other territories too, but it marks what many see as a new era for the business…
Universal is retaining its consumer marketing team to look after promoting and pushing the titles, with, after a relatively quiet end of 2020 and only a handful of releases so far this year – due partly to the impending LAUNCH of the deal, but also due to the lack of product flow from cinemas and elsewhere due to the ongoing pandemic, a busy slate planned for the rest of the year. Paying tribute to its achievements in recent years, and looking ahead to the future, Ian Foster said; “Monday March 1 will mark the day that Warner Brothers will begin distributing Universal Pictures physical home entertainment product in the UK. I would like to say a huge thank you to all our retailer partners for their amazing support over the years, in particular during the unprecedented year we have just had. I would also like to thank the team at BASE for their tireless support of the category and for helping us collaborate with our colleagues on so many industry initiatives. Thanks also to BASE for their kind words and recognition at last year’s BASE awards. March 1 will also mark the time when we will be saying goodbye to so many talented colleagues that have made the Universal team one of the best and most respected in the industry. I have loved being a part of the team, and am very proud of what they have achieved over the years. I want to thank them all for their dedication, their passion, and their fantastic contribution to our business, and I wish them all the best in whatever they do next. With an outstanding catalogue offering and a much delayed but bigger than ever new release slate ahead, I am delighted that our Consumer Marketing team will be remaining in place to work with Warner and continue to bring our marketing campaigns to life. I wish everyone involved in the partnership the very best as they work collaboratively to bring our amazing content to customers in 2021 and beyond.”
Meanwhile, Disney launched the next salvo from its Disney+ subscription video on demand service this week, opening the doors to new brand Star through the service. As reported previously, it makes full use of the now Disney-owned Fox catalogue as well as the Mouse House’s own Touchstone titles among others. The service launched with more than 75 series and over 280 movies, and four new Star Originals, with a further three originals – National Geographic doc series Genius, Aretha; Rebel, the story inspired by the life of Erin Brockovich and a new spun-off from hit series Black-ish and Grown-ish also announced. “Disney+ has touched the lives of nearly a hundred million people around the globe by providing a home for exceptional storytelling from the beloved brands of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, and today’s launch of the Star-branded international general entertainment offering marks an exciting expansion for the service,” said Rebecca Campbell, chairman, international operations and direct-to-consumer, The Walt Disney Company. “With the addition of Star, we’re building even more value for consumers by adding an incredible array of high-quality movies and series for families, older teens, and adults, fuelled by the acquisition of 21st Century Fox and our creative studios.”
Monday releases now and due in stores on March 1 is the latest classic restoration from Studiocanal, with the company dipping once more into its vast archives and coming up with a homegrown gem much loved by Britfilm fans. Restless Natives follows two desperate-for-cash lads who come up with a great way of earning money – by jumping on a motorbike, donning masks and robbing coach loads of tourists up to see Scotland’s countryside. The film has grown in stature since its release in 1985, and its been given the full 4K restoration treatment. Studiocanal’s Alison Arber said: “We are very excited to be releasing a brand new 4K restoration of the 80s gem Restless Natives. Directed by the brilliant Michael Hoffman and featuring a fantastic soundtrack from Big Country, the release includes brand new extras including a Big Country Documentary about the making of the soundtrack and a cast and crew documentary recalling the original shoot.:
Also on Monday and arriving on the shelves from Lionsgate is a double helping of Pinhead and pals in the shape of two titles featuring the horror icon, Hellraiser Revelations and Hellraiser Judgment. The two latest instalments from the long-running horror franchise created by Clive Barker are being released siumultaneously alongside each other. Lionsgate’s junior product manager Katy Machin said: “On Monday, we are very excited to finally bring from the depths of hell to the UK market, Hellraiser Revelations and Hellraiser Judgment. The ninth and 10th films in the iconic franchise are the perfect addition to any horror fans’ collection. Full to the brim with gory special effects that will appeal to fans of the genre, get ready for nightmare visuals that will tear your soul apart! We are supporting these releases with a thorough PR campaign, consisting of interviews with talent, features and competitions to raise awareness and excite the horror community that these titles will finally be available to purchase in the UK.”
Keep an eye out too for Lionsgate’s The Father, which will be landing in cinemas when they open again before heading to eventual home entertainment release. And by the time it arrives, Lionsgate should have to clear a lot of the sleeve to list the numerous awards it is tipped to pick up. The film stars Anthony Hopkins as a gentleman facing dementia and an uncertain future, Olivia Colman heads a strong supporting cast as his daughter. The distributor held an online press screening for the awards-friendly title on Friday night to help build buzz and word of mouth around the film in the run-up to its release and it really is a wonderful film – moving and affecting without ever being mawkish and full of towering performances, not least a fantastic turn from Hopkins as the suffering patriarch. Commenting on the release, Lionsgate’s Kirsten Sweeney said: “The Father is a truly masterful film, full of phenomenal performances. We’re honoured by the reception the film has received from critics and awards voters, and we can't wait to share it with audiences everywhere.”
Also in stores on Monday is one of our favourite films of the past year, one we’ve been banging on about since we last viewed it, White Riot. The March 1 release of Rubika Shah’s excellent documentary about Rock Against Racism. Eagle-eyed Raygun readers will remember us banging on about the film here and beyond last year, not least on The Ransom Note, where we spoke to original attendees at the legendary RAR gig at Victoria Park in 1978 (you can see it here). The release is timely given the film getting a nod from BAFTA, where it is long-listed for the forthcoming awards. Commenting on the release, Modern Films’ Eve Gabereau said: "We are happy to have the White Riot DVD now available so that people can have a physical piece of the film and its history too. The story connected so closely with Black Lives Matters last summer and continued to resonate with audiences across our theatrical and digital release, all the way to being long-listed for the BAFTAs this year in the Outstanding Debut category."
It starts off a busy period for Modern Films, with next week the release of punk doc Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliche at virtual cinemas from March 5 and, later, on April 23, a similar vod release for Sisters With Transistors. Here’s the company’s Eve Gabereau on this pair. She said: “Poly Styrene is about the X-Ray Spex lead singer, is co-directed by her daughter Celeste Bell and by Paul Sng, produced by Rebecca Mark-Lawson (Irene's Ghost) and is narrated by Ruth Negga. It features contributions from Vivienne Westwood, Neneh Cherry, Thurston Moore, Don Letts, Jonathan Ross and more. We will be hosting a number of preview screenings and events - virtually - including one celebrating the Kings Road of the 1970s, in partnership with Everyman Cinemas, the Saatchi Gallery's Art & Music Books and Worlds End. Sisters With Transistors is a film we are proud and honoured to be part of. Narrated by Laurie Anderson, and with contributions from such musicians as Holly Herndon and Kim Gordon, it is about pioneering women in electronic music, is directed by artist and filmmaker Lisa Rovner and is produced by Anna Lena Vaney (Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait). The UK campaign will be in parallel with the US distributor Metrograph Pictures, which is super exciting for us."
More forthcoming product announcements and this week has seen Eureka and its Masters Of Cinema imprint heading to social media too reveal details of its May releases and open pre-orders for the latest batch of releases. Outlining the range on offer, here’s national accounts manager Marcus Garwood said: “It’s action and thrills all the way here at Eureka Entertainment this May as we unleash a triple threat of quality releases. First up on our Masters Of Cinema imprint is the UK debut on Blu-ray of the 1965 hard edged classic thriller The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. Based on the best-selling novel by John Le Carré the film stars Academy Award-nominated Richard Burton (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Becket,1984) alongside Claire Bloom (Hamlet, A Streetcar Named Desire). Winner of 4 BAFTA Awards (including Best British Film) The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is presented here as a limited collectors edition featuring an exclusive o-card slipcase with new artwork by artist Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju). Extras include a brand-new audio commentary with film scholar Adrian Martin and a brand new video essay by critic and filmmaker David Cairns.
Eureka’s May round-up continues, with, as Marcus Garwood said: “The well-known ‘with one hand behind my back’ idiom is taken to a brutal extreme on our next release as a top martial artist incurs the wrath of a local gang leader and ends up having his right arm severed off. A multitude of unique and inventive fight scenes follow as revenge is exacted. Jimmy Wang Yu both stars and directs this 1971 gem as One-Armed Boxer makes its worldwide debut as a brand-new restoration from the original film elements on Blu-ray. The release features a limited edition O-Card featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling, plus a superb limited edition reversible poster featuring new and original artwork as well. Add to that a limited collector’s booklet and disc extras this is an absolute essential purchase for any discerning martial arts or action fan. Sticking with the action and thriller vibe we round off the month with Tsui Hark’s Time And Tide. Originally released in 2000 Time And Tide was nominated for six Hong Kong film awards and remains one of Hark’s most acclaimed features (alongside his other essential films such as Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain; Once Upon a Time in China which are also available from us here at Eureka Entertainment). The release features vibrant new O-Card slipcase artwork by Darren Wheeling, plus a limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Chinese-language film expert and author Stephen Teo.”
AT THE MOVIES
A new film from George A Romero has been discovered and signed up for release by horror streaming service Shudder. The film, The Amusement Park, was a for-hire job made in the early 1970s, commissioned by the Lutheran Society and is an allegory about the perils of growing old, complete, apparently, with the director’s strong sense of biting satire. It’s now being restored with the help of the George A Romero Foundation before airing on the service later this year. Shudder’s general manager Craig Engler said: “The moment we heard The Amusement Park had been rediscovered and was being restored, we knew we had to bring this unseen George A. Romero masterpiece to Shudder members.”
Superman Returns. Or, rather, Superman returns. The Man of Steel is set to come back to the big screen after Warner and comics subsidiary DC announced that there will be a new Superman feature. No word on who will play the refugee from Krypton, but it is being produced through JJ Abram’s Bad Robot company, and a writer has been announced: author Ta-Nehisi Coates. The novelist has already had a comic book-related stint, working on both Captain America and Black Panther. Abrams said: “There is a new, powerful and moving Superman story yet to be told. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with the brilliant Mr. Coates to help bring that story to the big screen, and we’re beyond thankful to the team at Warner Bros. for the opportunity.”
Meanwhile, over in the world of TV, the big news this week has been the mooted comeback for Frasier. For it seems as if Kelsey Grammer will be returning to the role of the Seattle-based radio therapist that he inhabited for years and turned into one of the most successful sitcoms ever. The new series will land on Paramount+, the major’s new streaming service in the US. “Having spent over 20 years of my creative life on the Paramount lot, both producing shows and performing in several, I’d like to congratulate Paramount+ on its entry into the streaming world,” said Grammer. “I gleefully anticipate sharing the next chapter in the continuing journey of Dr. Frasier Crane.”
SITE OF THE WEEK
More from the Home Viewing column from The Raygun’s Tim Murray over at the Ransom Note, this week talking to Host director Rob Savage. You can see it here. TWEET OF THE WEEK
Follow us on www.twitter.com/theraygun
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
Forthcoming from Disney…
Due from Altitude
DVD and Blu-ray in May…
The latest from Neil Marshall…
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