By Ray Pride Pride@moviecitynews.com

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS TAKES ON RAMIN BAHRANI’S AT ANY PRICE

Posted Friday, August 3rd, 2012 - Comments Off on SONY PICTURES CLASSICS TAKES ON RAMIN BAHRANI’S AT ANY PRICE
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK (August 3, 2012) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired all North American and Eastern European rights, excluding CIS and Russia, to AT ANY PRICE. Ramin Bahrani (GOODBYE SOLO, MAN PUSH CART, CHOP SHOP) directed and co-wrote the film with Hallie Elizabeth Newton. AT ANY PRICE stars Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, Kim Dickens and Heather Graham.

The film was produced by Pamela Koffler, Teddy Schwarzman, Justin Nappi, Kevin Turen, Christine Vachon, and Bahrani. Executive Producers include Ron Curtis, Mohammed Al Turki, Brian Young and Eric Nyari. Black Bear Pictures and TreeHouse Pictures financed AT ANY PRICE, which is In Competition in Venice and will be a Special Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Set in the competitive world of modern agriculture, AT ANY PRICE centers on ambitious Henry Whipple (Quaid), who wants his rebellious son Dean (Efron) to help expand his family’s farming empire. However, Dean has his sights set on becoming a professional race car driver. When a high-stakes investigation into their business unfolds, father and son are pushed into an unexpected situation that threatens the family’s entire livelihood.

“Ramin Bahrani is a major American film maker. We’ve wanted to work with him for some time. He is a great storyteller not afraid of serious or big subjects. When we read AT ANY PRICE we knew this would be a great leap forward for him as a successful director offering great roles for major actors. We are so happy to be bringing the film to the American audience and to be in business with him and his prolific producers Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon, Teddy Schwarzman, Justin Nappi and Kevin Turen,” said Sony Pictures Classics.

“I am very happy to be working with Michael, Tom, and Sony Pictures Classics who have been releasing some of the most important films for over two decades” said Bahrani.

“We are thrilled to partner with Sony Pictures Classics on AT ANY PRICE,” said Teddy Schwarzman of Black Bear and Justin Nappi of TreeHouse. “Tom, Michael and their team have made a strong commitment to this special film and its talented filmmaker. We look forward to working together in the days and months ahead.”

The deal was negotiated by SPC with CAA on behalf of the film.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992, which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world.

Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 29 Academy Awards® (25 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 127 Academy Award® nominations (101 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/.

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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.

And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.

There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher

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~ David Simon