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Viacom, MGM and Lionsgate to take on HBO, Showtime

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NEW YORK (Reuters) – Sumner Redstone’s Viacom Inc will launch a premium TV and movie channel with Lionsgate and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, aiming a direct volley at Time Warner Inc’s HBO as well as Redstone’s own Showtime networks owned by CBS Corp.

The new channel will have originally produced television series, as well as feature upcoming movies like “Iron Man” and “GI Joe” and classic hits such as MGM’s “James Bond” franchise and Lionsgate’s “Dirty Dancing.” It is expected to launch in autumn 2009, the companies said in a statement on Sunday.

The venture, in which Viacom will take a lead role and own the biggest stake, is viewed as a challenge to CBS, which controls the Showtime Networks Inc premium movie and TV cable channels. Showtime currently holds contracts to show movies from MGM and Lionsgate.

“I have stated from the beginning that Viacom and CBS have the right to pursue their own strategic objectives in the best interest of their individual shareholders,” Redstone said in an e-mailed statement. “Competition between the two companies hones their skills and their productivity.”

Viacom, which owns the Paramount film studio and MTV Networks, was split from CBS in 2006 to appeal to different classes of shareholders. Both are controlled by Redstone.

Lionsgate and MGM are not expected to renew their contracts with Showtime when they expire at the end of 2008. Paramount’s contract with Showtime ended in 2007 and has not been renewed.

A RARE OPPORTUNITY

“It’s my job to create maximum shareholder value for Viacom. It’s Leslie’s job to create maximum value for his company,” Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman told Reuters in a phone interview, referring to CBS CEO Leslie Moonves.

Dauman said contracts between pay TV channels and movie studios are usually very long, and he took the opportunity to negotiate this deal as the Showtime contracts were ending.

“It is rare for a studio product to be available,” he said.

Films and shows from Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate will be made available to the new channel and services on an exclusive basis during the pay television period, with some exceptions.

Paramount’s contract with director Steven Spielberg for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” requires the film to be made available to the highest bidder for television, for instance.

Showtime dismissed the threat of the new competition. As movies now are often sold on Apple’s iTunes online store or on video-on-demand months before reaching pay TV, it is original programming such as HBO’s popular series “The Sopranos” that attracts the biggest audiences.

Average household ratings for theatrical films have declined 80 percent since 2001 at Showtime, according to Nielsen ratings.

“We’ve made no secret of the fact that we’ve felt for some time that the value of these feature films has been declining,” Showtime Chairman Matt Blank said in a phone interview.

“We wish them luck,” he said, adding that the contracts allow a mix of films from the studios in the joint venture to play on Showtime through 2011.

One source familiar with the matter said Showtime was unwilling to pay higher licensing fees demanded by the studios.

Since CBS’s split from Viacom, the two companies have drifted into each other’s businesses with Redstone’s blessing. CBS, for instance, has launched a small film studio to develop smaller budget films, a move that could help it save on costs to acquire films to air on Showtime.

Financial details or terms of the joint venture were not disclosed, but Viacom said its MTV Networks division will provide promotional as well as other services. The joint venture is a “multi-year” deal, Viacom said.

With more than a year before its launch, details, such as management and what types of new digital services will accompany the channel are being worked out. The parties will announce a new chief executive for the venture shortly.

“It’s a unique point in time to reinvent the category,” Dauman said. “We can provide a lot more ways to provide what consumers want, whether it’s broadband opportunities, maximizing video-on-demand opportunities and HD.“

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Headline, Industry News

MGM partners with Tom Cruise

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LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ – United Artists, the studio founded by movie greats Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith some 85 years ago and responsible for delivering such iconic film franchises as "Rocky," "Pink Panther" and "James Bond," will be reborn under a partnership formed between Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (MGM). The announcement was made today by Harry E. Sloan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, MGM. 

Cruise and Wagner, one of the most successful film production teams ever, will drive the rebirth of United Artists as MGM’s operating partner. Along with their substantial ownership, Cruise and Wagner will have control of setting the company’s production slate, from development to production greenlighting ability, subject to certain parameters. Wagner will serve as Chief Executive Officer of United Artists, overseeing the day to day operations of the studio alongside her longstanding producing partner Cruise, who will star in as well as produce films for United Artists and also be available to appear in film projects for other studios.  Cruise last teamed up with the original UA on "Rain Man" in 1988, which won four Academy Awards including Best Picture.

In establishing United Artists as a new entity, MGM and Cruise/Wagner will return the studio to its former roots by recognizing what made UA great in the first place – studio management by creative talent who can best encourage and support other creative talent. The talent friendly studio will be reborn as a place where producers, writers, directors and actors can thrive in a creative environment, developing and producing entertaining film projects. The plan would allow artists throughout the community to pursue their creative visions outside of the traditional studio system.

The studio plans to have a production slate of approximately four (4) films each year, which may increase in the future. Worldwide marketing and distribution will be handled by partner MGM. UA will be a major supplier of feature films to MGM, with production and development of UA movies being fully financed by MGM and its partners. MGM is the only major studio controlled by private equity firms which include Providence Equity Partners and Texas Pacific Group along with industry partners Comcast Corp. and Sony Corp. of America.

"Partnering with Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner, we have the ideal creative foundation from which to reintroduce the United Artists brand," said Sloan in making the announcement. "Tom and Paula are the modern versions of the iconic founders of United Artists – Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and D. W. Griffith – and our partnership with them reaffirms our commitment to providing creative talent with a comfortable home at United Artists and a dedicated distribution partner in MGM. United Artists is once again the haven for independent filmmakers and a vital resource in developing quality filmed entertainment consistent with MGM’s modern studio model."

Commented Cruise: "Paula and I are very respectful of the rich history and tradition of United Artists, and we welcome the opportunity to contribute to that legacy by providing a wide range of releases that appeal to all audiences. It’s our desire to create an environment where filmmakers can thrive and see their visions realized."

"This is a great opportunity for Tom and me to re-establish the United Artists brand and to work closely with the creative community," stated Wagner. "As studio partner-operators, we will provide a supportive environment and infrastructure for filmmakers that will allow them to do their best work."

"Providing Tom and Paula with the ability to greenlight films under the UA banner validates MGM’s commitment to and recognition of independent producers as the true creative nucleus of Hollywood filmmaking," said Rick Sands, COO of MGM. "The relationship between UA, which will provide the creative environment for independent producers to nurture content of their own vision and MGM, which will apply its expertise to distribution and marketing to those projects, is an ideal collaboration of art and business. The resurgence of United Artists will take us another step closer to realizing the full revitalization of MGM. Harry and I are personally thrilled to be working with Tom and Paula."

Paula Wagner and Tom Cruise launched Cruise/Wagner Productions as an independent production company in September 1993. Since its inception, the company has enjoyed unparalleled success, producing a wide range of films that have earned multiple awards, widespread critical praise and global box office grosses in excess of US$2.9 billion. Films produced by the company include the Mission Impossible franchise as well as critical and commercial successes such as "War of the Worlds," "The Last Samurai," "The Others" and "Vanilla Sky," among others.

Tom Cruise is one of the most successful, critically acclaimed and sought after movie stars in the world. In a career spanning 26 years, Cruise has received three Academy Award nominations and has won three Golden Globe awards for his performance in such hit films as "Born on the Fourth of July," "Jerry Maguire" and "Magnolia" and numerous accolades for his performances in "The Last Samurai," "Minority Report" and "Collateral."

Cruise’s films have resulted in worldwide box office totals of approximately US$6 billion and his last two films, "War of the Worlds" and "Mission: Impossible III" have grossed nearly US$1 billion worldwide. Overall, Cruise has made 14 films that have grossed US$100 million in domestic receipts alone, with his last seven consecutive films reaching that benchmark.

The agreement between Cruise Wagner Productions and MGM/UA, which takes effect immediately, was brokered by Cruise Wagner’s representative CAA and attorney Bert Fields.

Headline, Industry News

New Animated Series Based on Spaceballs

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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) is teaming with the G4 television network, Brooksfilms Limited, and Berliner Film Companie GmbH (Berliner) on the U.S. release of a new original television series based on the classic Mel Brooks comedy "Spaceballs."

G4, which is now available in 59 million cable and satellite homes nationwide, has exclusively licensed the first run of "Spaceballs – The Animated Series" for the U.S. market. The network is involved in the production of the series, and will premiere the program in Fall 2007. G4 targets the Male 18-34 audience, deep-diving into the digital landscape, with a programming slate that incorporates all the twisted and clever pop culture phenomena that young guys are interested in: video games, technology, humor, animation, the Internet, cars, women and more.

MGM Worldwide Television Distribution Group, a unit of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc., will officially launch the property at the upcoming MIPCOM international television festival in Cannes, France (October 9-13).

"Spaceballs: The Animated Series" brings together a talented team of comedy specialists. Brooks, who over the past 40 years has created such classics as "Blazing Saddles," "Young Frankenstein" and both versions of "The Producers," co-wrote the "Spaceballs" pilot with the highly accomplished Thomas Meehan. Meehan, who has co-written three film projects with Brooks, the original "Spaceballs" film, "To Be or Not to Be" and the musical version of "The Producers," will oversee all writing for the first 13 episodes. Brooks will also lend his voice to two of the characters in the show, President Skroob and Yogurt.

Similar to the feature film, which parodied iconic science fiction movies, "Spaceballs: The Animated Series" will take the legendary Brooks satirical eye, spoofing the biggest blockbusters of today as well as every genre of entertainment from movies and reality TV to Culture and politics. The series will be produced by Berliner in association with Brooksfilms. Already in production, Berliner will produce 13 half-hour episodes, which will debut on G4 in Fall 2007.

Jim Packer, President of MGM Worldwide Television Distribution Group, said: "This series has all the elements of a great comedy show. Mel Brooks has one of the top comedy minds in the business and the Berliner team has an impressive track record for producing quality animation. On the heels of retooling our worldwide television distribution group, MGM will be an active player in bringing first-run series to the marketplace and ‘Spaceballs’ is a good example of the programming partnerships we can create with this vast library."

Neal Tiles, president of G4, added: "As the go-to network for men 18-34, irreverent humor is one of the benchmarks of our programming philosophy, as is animation. Mel Brooks’ classic movies ‘Young Frankenstein’ and ‘Blazing Saddles’ are just as relevant to our young male audience today as they were when they were first released. His brand of humor will resonate well with our viewers."

Rainer Soehnlein of Berliner stated: "We are thrilled to be working with two legends of the entertainment industry, Mel Brooks and MGM, on this exciting new series. The Brooks imagination, combined with the creative possibilities of animation, will definitely make for something brand new in TV comedy."

Led by industry veteran Rainer Soehnlein, the Berliner team has produced many half-hour cartoons for television including "Da Boom Crew," which ran on Kids’ WB. The company is currently wrapping up production on the feature film, "Happily N’Ever After," a CGI comedy that explores what would happen if Cinderella’s wicked stepmother led a coup to take over Fairy Tale Land. Oscar winning producer John H. Williams ("Shrek") is producing the project, with Soehnlein acting as Executive Producer.

In the pilot episode of "Spaceballs: The Animated Series," the storyline will be similar to that of the movie, which was released theatrically in 1987. The evil Dark Helmet kidnaps Princess Vespa of the Planet Druidia. His dastardly plan: to blackmail her father, King Roland, into giving up his planet’s air to replenish the polluted Planet Spaceball, run by the fiendish President Skroob (to be voiced by Brooks). Princess Vespa’s dad hires Lone Starr and Barf to rescue the princess. After a battle with Dark Helmet, they rescue the princess and Planet Druidia. From there, they launch on a series of wild adventures across the Galaxy.

Headline, TIFF 2006

MGM Acquires North American Rights to RESCUE DAWN

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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ — MGM has acquired all North American rights to RESCUE DAWN, the survival story of Dieter Dengler, an American pilot shot down in Viet Cong territory, written and directed by Werner Herzog and starring Christian Bale, it was announced today by the company’s COO Rick Sands. The film, which was produced by Gibraltar Entertainment in association with Thema Production, debuts at the Toronto International Film Festival this Saturday, September 9th, is scheduled for a theatrical run in December, 2006.

Based on the true story of an American pilot, Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) is shot down during a top-secret mission to destroy Viet Cong strongholds in Laos at the beginning of the Vietnam War. Taken hostage, he endures unimaginable conditions at the hands of cruel captors in a makeshift POW camp. Dengler’s iron will to survive guides him and fellow prisoners in a meticulously-planned, death-defying escape, only to discover the harsh realities of an unforgiving jungle beyond the camp’s walls. 

Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies costar in this unforgettable story of one man’s determination and unrelenting pursuit of freedom.

"We’re very excited to be working with Herzog," said Sands. "He is a legendary director, and he and Bale have brought this incredible and compelling story to the screen in a raw and emotional film."

RESCUE DAWN is produced by Steve Marlton, Elton Brand and Harry Knapp, executive produced by Jimmy de Brabant, Michael Dounaev, Kami Nagdi, Elie Samaha, Gerald Green, Nick Raslin and Freddy Braidy, and associate produced by Adam W. Rosen and Robyn Klein, with cinematography by Peter Zietlinger, editing by Joe Bini, and original musical by Klaus Badelt.

The deal was negotiated by Scott Packman and Ayano Ichida at MGM, and Adam W. Rosen of Rosen Feig Golland & Lunn represented the filmmakers in the sale.