By Ray Pride Pride@moviecitynews.com

Magnolia Home Entertainment and Phase 4 Films Divide U.S. Rights to Feature Film SUSHI GIRL

Posted Wednesday, August 1st, 2012 - Comments Off on Magnolia Home Entertainment and Phase 4 Films Divide U.S. Rights to Feature Film SUSHI GIRL
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

August 1, 2012

Los Angeles, CA – August 1, 2012 – The Wagner/Cuban Company’s Magnolia Home Entertainment and Phase 4 Films announced today they have jointly acquired North American rights to the Mark Hamill film SUSHI GIRL. The revenge thriller had its international premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 21st 2012, to be followed by a theatrical release in the U.S. and cable VOD by Phase 4 Films in late 2012, with Blu-ray, DVD and digital VOD release by Magnolia Home Entertainment under the Magnet Releasing label in early 2013. Phase 4 Films will also distribute the film theatrically and on home video in Canada.

The hotly anticipated genre-bending thriller by director Kern Saxton (co-writer of the film along with Destin Pfaff) is produced by Assembly Line, a team including Neal Fischer, Pfaff, Saxton and Suren M. Seron, in association with Level Up Productions.

Mark Hamill (Star Wars Franchise) and Tony Todd (Candyman) lead a cast of cult heroes including Noah Hathaway (The NeverEnding Story), James Duval (Donnie Darko), Andy Mackenzie (MacGruber), David Dastmalchian (The Dark Knight) and Cortney Palm (Superbad). Sushi Girl also includes feature appearances by Michael Biehn (Aliens), Sonny Chiba (Kill Bill Vol. 1), Jeff Fahey (Grindhouse) and Danny Trejo (Machete).

The film centers on the compelling character of a man called “Fish,” just released after six years in jail after successfully not ratting on those involved in the robbery that sent him to prison. The night he is released, the men he protected with silence celebrate his freedom with a congratulatory dinner. The meal is a lavish array of sushi, served off the naked body of a beautiful young woman. The sushi girl seems catatonic, trained to ignore everything in the room, even if things become dangerous. Sure enough, the unwieldy thieves can’t help but open old wounds in an attempt to find their missing loot, with violent results.

“SUSHI GIRL’s all-star ensemble of fan favorite actors will resonate with the Magnet audience,” said Head of Magnolia Home Entertainment Randy Wells. “Kern and the SUSHI GIRL production team have put together an incredibly cool, well-crafted thriller, and Mark Hamill’s performance will leave fans buzzing.”

“We both loved the film so much that teaming up was the only option,” said Larry Greenberg, SVP Acquisitions of Phase 4 Films.

“It was a long battle to get the right distribution for this film, but we are extremely happy with how our partners have worked together with us to create a win for everyone involved,” said Suren M. Seron of Assembly Line.

The deals were negotiated by Magnolia’s Director of Acquisitions Peter Van Steemburg, Head of Legal and Business Affairs Chris Matson, and Phase 4’s Larry Greenberg, with Nate Bolotin and Aram Tertzakian of XYZ Films and Suren M. Seron of Assembly Line.

About Magnolia Home Entertainment

Magnolia Home Entertainment is part of a vertically-integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that includes distributor Magnolia Pictures, the Landmark Theatres chain, production company 2929 Productions, and high-definition cable networks AXS TV and HDNet Movies. For more information visit http://www.magpictures.com <http://www.magpictures.com>

About Phase 4 Films

Phase 4 Films distributes feature films and special interest content across all traditional theatrical and new media platforms in North America. The company’s previous releases include the provocatively sexy road movie HICK, starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Blake Lively, and Eddie Redmayne; 2011 Sundance award-winner ANOTHER HAPPY DAY, Sam Levinson’s dark comedy about a dysfunctional family, starring Ellen Barkin, Demi Moore, and Ezra Miller; and the Canadian tour of Kevin Smith’s RED STATE, starring Michael Parks, Melissa Leo and John Goodman.  Upcoming releases for the company include Rebecca Thomas’ 2012 SXSW favorite ELECTRICK CHILDREN starring Julia Garner, Rory Culkin, and Liam Aiken; Nate Meyer’s SEE GIRL RUN starring Robin Tunney and Adam Scott; Carrie Preston’s Sundance 2012 hit comedy THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID starring Anne Heche, Marcia DeBonis, and Alia Shawkat; and Andrew Edison’s high school comedy BINDLESTIFFS, which will be released in partnership with Kevin Smith under the SModcast Pictures Presents banner.  For more information visit http://www.phase4films.com.
About Assembly Line

Assembly Line LLC was formed by managing partners Neal Fischer (“Shotgun Diaries”), Destin Pfaff (“Millionaire Matchmaker”), Kern Saxton (“Deader Living Through Chemistry”) and Suren M. Seron (“Forever Plaid”) in 2010.  The company’s senior partners each bring Assembly Line a tremendous amount of entertainment industry experience. The company’s first feature film “Sushi Girl” has received a slew of media attention and acclaim.  Daily Variety recently reported on Assembly Line’s next project – Tony Todd’s directorial debut “Catalytic”; and The Hollywood Reporter announced Assembly Line’s development deal with film legend Sonny Chiba.  Assembly Line has several additional projects at various stages of development, which will be announced in the coming months.

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