Deal Includes Films Starring Sissy Spacek, Forest Whitaker, Danny DeVito,
Kim Basinger, Guy Pearce, Tim Roth, Jamie Kennedy, Eddie Griffin and Ray
Liotta
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz Entertainment
continues its relationship with Indie Producer Bob Yari, acquiring the
exclusive rights to five films which will premiere in 2008 on the Starz and
Encore linear channels as well as Starz On Demand and Vongo, Starz
Entertainment's broadband video download service.
Films in the exclusive deal include Even Money starring Danny DeVito,
Kim Basinger, Tim Roth, Ray Liotta, Nick Cannon and Kelsey Grammer; Kickin'
It Old Skool starring Jamie Kennedy; Redline starring Eddie Griffin; Gray
Matters starring Sissy Spacek, Heather Graham, Bridget Moynahan and Alan
Cumming; and First Snow starring Guy Pearce, Piper Perabo, J.K. Simmons and
William Fichtner.
"We have a long-standing relationship with Starz and are pleased to be
able to continue that partnership," says Yari, President, Yari Film Group.
"Being able to offer our content to Starz' subscribers on their various
distribution platforms helps us achieve our goals -- enabling our films to
have a long and profitable life, broadening their audiences as well as
their business potential."
"It gives us great pleasure to be able to continue our relationship
with Bob Yari," says Nancy Silverstone, vice president of program
acquisitions for Starz Entertainment. "We're excited to showcase his films,
each filled with unique casts, on all our platforms."
Director Mark Rydell's Even Money takes gambling and intertwines its
effects on the lives of a group of people including a washed-up magician
(Danny DeVito), a desperate writer (Kim Basinger), a handyman (Forest
Whitaker) and his basketball playing brother (Nick Cannon). The film
costars Ray Liotta, Kelsey Grammer, Tim Roth, Carla Gugino and Jay Mohr.
The film was written by Robert Tannen.
In Kickin' It Old Skool, former breakdancer Justin (Jamie Kennedy)
awakens from a 20-year coma. Facing a changed world, Justin tries to get
himself back on track by entering a big breakdancing contest. The comedy
costars Debra Jo Rupp, Maria Menounos, Christopher McDonald and a cameo
from the "Hoff" David Hasselhoff.
In Redline, a gorgeous young automobile fanatic and front to the
hottest unsigned band on the West coast finds herself caught up in illegal
drag-racing competitions organized for the pleasure of bored billionaires.
The film stars Eddie Griffin and is directed by stunt
coordinator-turned-director Andy Cheng.
The screwball comedy Gray Matters focuses on New York siblings Gray
(Heather Graham) and Sam (Tom Cavanaugh), who, due to their similar tastes,
are often mistaken for a couple. When Sam falls "head over heals" for
Charlie (Bridget Moynahan) -- so does Gray, and that's when all the
confusion begins. Sissy Spacek, Alan Cumming and Molly Shannon co-star.
The neo-noir thriller First Snow stars Guy Pearce as Jimmy, a slick,
sleazy salesman who meets a fortune teller (J.K. Simmons) who tells him
he'll die, but not before the first snow. Jimmy's past catches up with him,
but will it overtake him or will he avoid his "presumed fate"? First Snow
costars Piper Perabo and William Fichtner.
Starz has previously licensed from the Yari Film Group The Illusionist,
starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti and Jessica Biel; Find Me Guilty, a
dramatic comedy starring Vin Diesel; and Winter Passing, starring Ed
Harris, Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel.
About the Yari Film Group:
Founded in 2002, Yari Film Group has established itself as one of the
most successful independent film companies in Hollywood, with over 30 films
produced over the last three years. Casting top-tier talent in compelling
projects with consumer appeal, the company is dedicated to ensuring
creative freedom for its filmmakers. YFG recently wrapped production on
three features: The thriller Nothing But The Truth written and directed by
Rod Lurie with Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Angela Bassett, Noah Wyle, and
Alan Alda, The Lonely Maiden, a comedy directed by Peter Hewitt and written
by Mike LeSieur starring Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken and William H.
Macy and the drama Real Men Cry starring Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke and
Amanda Peet. The company's credits include Oscar(R) 2005 Best Picture
Winner Crash, Dave Chappelle's Block Party, The Pierce Brosnan-starrer The
Matador, Thumbsucker, Hostage, Love Song for Bobby Long, Prime starring
Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman, The Hoax starring Richard Gere and The
Painted Veil, starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts.
Upcoming 2008 releases include The Accidental Husband, a romantic
comedy starring Uma Thurman, Colin Firth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as well as
Assassination of a High School President, an irreverent high school comedy
with Mischa Barton, Reece Thompson and Bruce Willis. The film world
premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie service provider operating
in the United States. It offers 16 movie channels including the flagship
Starz(R) and Encore(R) brands with approximately 16.3 million and 30.7
million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs more than 1,000
movies per month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services
including Starz HD, Starz On Demand and Vongo(R). Starz Entertainment
(http://www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, and is attributed to
Liberty Entertainment Group, a tracking stock group of Liberty Media
Corporation.
Contacts: Steve Belgard Robin Mesger
Starz Entertainment The Lippin Group
(720) 852-5843 (323) 965-1990
steve.belgard@starz.com rmesger@lippingroup.com
SOURCE Starz Entertainment, LLC
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Related links:
http://www.starz.com/
CONTACT:
Steve Belgard of Starz Entertainment,
+1-720-852-5843, steve.belgard@starz.com; or Robin Mesger of The
Lippin Group, +1-323-965-1990, rmesger@lippingroup.com, for Starz
Entertainment
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