BVI wins overseas b.o. battle
In September, Buena Vista International announced
that it had passed $1 billion in overseas boxoffice gross
and that it could be on its way to setting a new company
record for 2000. The Walt Disney Co.'s foreign distribution
arm didn't quite set a new mark, but it got razor-thin close,
ringing out the century with a remarkable performance of
surpassing $1 billion at the offshore boxoffice six years in a
row. What BVI president Mark Zoradi terms "a good mix of
product" -- 40% animated and 60% live-action -- brought
the Disney's foreign unit a boxoffice return of $1.307
billion in 2000, just short of the milestone $1.319 billion
set in 1999. Sony's Columbia TriStar Theatrical Film
Distributors International was the only other studio to
surpass $1 billion overseas in 2000, earning $1.076
billion, an almost 86% increase over 1999's lackluster
$573.5 million. Four companies -- BVI, Universal, Warner
Bros. and Fox -- surpassed $1 billion overseas in 1999.
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Sisqo slides to 'Winterdance'
Grammy-nominated R&B singer Sisqo is in
negotiations to co-star in the Walt Disney Co.'s
"Winterdance" for director Brian Levant and producer
Jordan Kerner. He would join a cast that includes Cuba
Gooding Jr. and James Coburn. The action-adventure
begins shooting Jan. 22 in Calgary, Alberta. "Winterdance"
is based on Gary Paulsen's 1994 book "Winterdance: The
Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod," which details the
author's participation in the 1,100-mile dogsled race from
Anchorage, Alaska, to Nome. For 17 days, Paulsen and his
team of dogs endured blinding wind, snowstorms and
moose attacks, yet relentlessly pushed on to the end. A
father-son reunion between Gooding and Coburn takes
place amid the race. Sisqo will play Gooding's cousin.
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Hanks enrolled for 'County' pic
Colin Hanks ("Roswell") is set to topline Paramount
Pictures' comedy "Orange County" for helmer Jake Kasdan
and producer Scott Rudin and MTV Films. The film goes
before the cameras at the end of the month in Los Angeles.
Hanks will shoot it simultaneously with his WB Network
series. Written by Mike White ("Chuck & Buck"), "County"
is about a high school senior (Hanks) at an Orange County,
Calif., high school who dreams of going to Stanford
University. Things go awry, however, when his guidance
counselor mistakenly sends out the wrong transcripts and
ruins his chances of getting in. Hanks made his acting debut
playing a page in "That Thing You Do!" -- written and
directed by his father, Tom Hanks, who also starred in the
film. Full story
Hiatt tuning up original songs for
'Bears'
Singer-songwriter John Hiatt, whose songs have been
recorded by scores of artists, including Bonnie Raitt
("Thing Called Love"), has signed to write at least five
original songs for the Walt Disney Co.'s family film "The
Country Bears." The movie, which goes into production
next month, is an original story inspired by the Country
Bear Jamboree attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim. It
follows a 10-year-old bear as he tries to reunite
once-successful band the Country Bears for a benefit
concert. The fictional band had broken up bitterly years
before. Hiatt has gained a strong cult following through his
more than 25 years of recording, especially after the
release of his 1987 breakthrough album, "Bring the
Family." In addition to Raitt, Hiatt's songs have been
recorded by Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris
and Willie Nelson. Hiatt is likely to provide the singing
voice for one of the bears and might write additional tunes
for the film.
Helmer Singer has Depp in mind
Johnny Depp, hot off his critically acclaimed
performances in "Chocolat" and "Before Night Falls," is
being courted by helmer Bryan Singer to star in the lead
role of his Renaissance Films' drama "Confessions of a
Dangerous Mind." No negotiations have begun as the actor
is mulling over several feature film offers, including Icon
Prods.' "Eliza Graves," as he decides his next move.
"Confessions" is a fictitious account of the secret life of
"The Gong Show" host Chuck Barris, who also was
purportedly a CIA hit man. "Graves," set in the early part of
the 20th century, is about a young doctor working in an
asylum who falls in love with a patient. Depp is repped by
UTA.
Miramax scares up strong 2000
Miramax frightened off most competition at the
boxoffice in 2000, thanks to its genre arm Dimension Films'
shockingly lucrative horror spoof "Scary Movie" and the
third installment in the horror franchise it skewered,
"Scream 3." "Scary," which grossed $157 million
domstically, became Miramax's highest earner ever, beating
"Good Will Hunting's" $138.4 million boxoffice take of
three years ago. Of course, "Scary" isn't going to get
"Hunting's" nine Oscar nominations, but Miramax left the
awards duties to the late 1999 release "The Cider House
Rules," which earned $53.3 million of its total take in
2000, thanks to seven Oscar nominations and wins for
supporting actor (Michael Caine) and adapted screenplay
(John Irving). "Scary" did, however, slash boxoffice
records left and right through the summer as it was the
biggest-ever opening for a black director (Keenen Ivory
Wayans) and the biggest debut for an R-rated picture.
