By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com
Killer Spotted in L.A.: Vachon Brings Indie Shingle to West Coast
It is not what you think, Variety swears in this morning’s story about Killer Films going California: Christine Vachon’s beloved NYC production company recently established an official bicoastal operation, with producer Jocelyn Hayes running a Los Angeles office and Vachon herself jetting back and forth to monitor development and financing and nurture relationships for future Killer projects.
Never mind that Vachon is leasing office space on the Warner Bros. lot–the shingle remains independently headquartered downtown on Lafayette Street. It is just that after Killer’s decade of prosperity and growth, the West Coast emerges as one of those gruesome, necessary evils:
“We are a New York fixture,” Vachon admitted to Daily Variety, “but I also feel like we’re always trying to work both coasts. While we’ve been absolutely stellar at covering the New York film, literary, theater and musical scenes, we’ve never quite attempted to penetrate what was happening in L.A.
“What makes New York so great is that it’s such a cultural stew. I think the same is true of L.A. You may just have to dig a little deeper.”
Yeah, well, Paul Haggis has some of the cleanest fingernails in Hollywood, and look where it got him: stroking his Oscar, laughing so hard that he just spit his orange juice across the breakfast table. But Vachon is far more optimistic than she is naïve, and if, by extension, her new L.A. address means more potential opportunities for film in New York, I guess we will take it. Just say a prayer for the woman, will you?