By Ray Pride Pride@moviecitynews.com

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS PINS ANNAPURNA’S FOXCATCHER

Posted Thursday, August 15th, 2013 - Comments Off on SONY PICTURES CLASSICS PINS ANNAPURNA’S FOXCATCHER
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 NEW YORK (August 15, 2013) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they will distribute Bennett Miller’s FOXCATCHER in North America, currently in post-production.  The film is produced by Megan Ellison under her company Annapurna Pictures, as well as, Miller and Anthony Bregman and will be released on December 20.

Miller’s prestigious cast and crew include Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Steve Carell, Sienna Miller, Vanessa Redgrave and Anthony Michael Hall, Screenplay by E. Max Frye (SOMETHING WILD, AMOS & ANDREW) and Dan Futterman (CAPOTE), Cinematographer Greig Fraser (ZERO DARK THIRTY), Production Designer Jess Gonchor (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, MONEYBALL, TRUE GRIT, CAPOTE) and Editor Stuart Levy (SAVAGES, WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS) and Conor O’Neill.

FOXCATCHER tells the gripping, true story of Olympic Wrestling Champion brothers Mark Schultz (Tatum) and Dave Schultz (Ruffalo) and their relationship with the eccentric John du Pont (Carell), heir to the du Pont Chemical fortune that led to murder.

Miller’s previous films, CAPOTE (Sony Pictures Classics) and MONEYBALL (Columbia Pictures) were both Academy Award nominees for Best Picture.

“I’ve been discussing FOXCATCHER with Michael and Tom since I began researching the story in 2005 and it’s always been my hope and expectation that they would distribute the film. Their passion and understanding of what FOXCATCHER could be and their ability to market unique and complex films makes SPC the ideal home for me. They were great partners on CAPOTE, and I’m thrilled to be back with SPC,” said Director Bennett Miller.

Sony Pictures Classics co-presidents Michael Barker and Tom Bernard added, “We always felt this story could be a great movie and we pursued the project the minute we heard Bennett wanted to make it.  We are excited to partner with Megan Ellison and Annapurna, glad Bennett is back with us and FOXCATCHER has found its home at SPC.”

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 31 Academy Awards (27 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 135 Academy Award nominations (109 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for AMOUR, 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/.

ABOUT ANNAPURNA PICTURES

Annapurna Pictures is a film production and finance company founded with the goal of boldly creating sophisticated, high-quality and ambitious films that appeal to a variety of audiences.

Annapurna’s recent releases include Kathryn Bigelow’s multiple Golden Globe and Academy Award nominated film ZERO DARK THIRTY; Paul Thomas Anderson’s multiple Golden Globe and Academy Award nominated masterpiece THE MASTER; Andrew Dominik’s KILLING THEM SOFTLY starring Brad Pitt and John Hillcoat’s LAWLESS. Annapurna’s latest release SPRING BREAKERS, directed by Harmony Korine and starring Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens and James Franco, broke records earning the biggest box office opening weekend of 2013 for a film playing in limited release.

Annapurna’s upcoming projects include David O. Russell’s AMERICAN HUSTLE starring Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence. Also scheduled for release later this year is Bennett Miller’s FOXCATCHER starring Channing Tatum, Steve Carell, and Mark Ruffalo based on the true story of convicted millionaire murderer John DuPont. Both of these films will be distributed by Sony Pictures. In addition, Annapurna is producing Spike Jonze’s new film HER starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Rooney Mara, set for a fourth quarter release through Warner Bros. The company previously acquired the U.S. rights to Wong Kar Wai’s THE GRANDMASTER, the story of martial arts master and Bruce Lee trainer Ip Man, which will be released August 23, 2013 by The Weinstein Company.

Annapurna also just announced that they will partner with Skydance Productions and Paramount Pictures on a rebooted “TERMINATOR” movie, the first of a stand-alone trilogy to be release by Paramount in 2015. Further, the company has partnered with Nina Jacobson’s Color Force on the best-selling comedic novel Where’d You Go, Bernadette, written by Maria Semple and has partnered with Denver & Delilah and CJ Entertainment on the SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE remake written by William Monahan and starring Charlize. Last spring, the company made a deal to back Panorama Media, which will serve as the international sales agent on select Annapurna projects.

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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?

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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?”

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~ David Simon