Media 8 Entertainment Inc. announced that its Academy Award-winning feature film IMonster/I has reported a strong debut on the U.S. home video sales and rentals charts. In its first week of release, for the week ended June 6th, the IMonster/I DVD was the No. 2 best selling DVD in the U.S., second only to IThe Lord of the Rings: Return of the King/I DVD, according to Video Business Magazine. IMonster/I also performed outstandingly in the home video rental market for the week ended June 6th, debuting at No. 1 on both the DVD and the VHS rental charts, ahead of ILOTR: Return of the King/I, according to Video Business Magazine.
"We are extremely pleased with the strong debut of IMonster/I in the home entertainment marketplace," stated Sammy Lee, Vice Chairman of the Board for Media 8 Entertainment. "This strong opening shows that consumers are continuing to seek out IMonster/I, even in the face of competition from mega budget movies like ILord of the Rings: Return of the King/I."
Produced by Media 8 Entertainment, IMonster/I tells the gripping real-life story of female serial killer Aileen Wuornos, as portrayed by Charlize Theron. In its theatrical release, the film garnered numerous awards and critical accolades, most notably winning an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award in the category of Best Actress. IMonster/I performed very well at the North American box office in its theatrical release, becoming one of the year's biggest independent film success stories. Thanks to the film's extremely favorable critical reception and continuingly positive word of mouth, IMonster/I now appears poised to make a strong run in the home video market as well. The IMonster/I DVD is being released in the U.S. and Canada by Columbia/ Tristar Homevideo.
Media 8 Entertainment is currently gearing up production for its ongoing strategy of producing, financing and distributing a minimum of six films a year. Pre-production has begun on M8's Running Scared, a big budget film which will star Paul Walker (IThe Fast and the Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious/I) and will be produced by Michael Pierce (producer of IThe Cooler/I), Brett Ratner (director of mega-box office hits IRush Hour, Rush Hour 2/I, and IRed Dragon/I), and Media 8 Entertainment's Sammy Lee. The gritty, fast-paced Running Scared is writer- director Wayne Kramer's follow up to his critically acclaimed film The Cooler. Running Scared begins principal photography on June 28th in Prague. Also in pre-production is ILovewrecked/I, a charming teen comedy starring top young star Amanda Bynes (IWhat A Girl Wants/I). Lovewrecked will be directed by Randal Kleiser (director of IGrease/I and IHoney I Blew Up the Kid/I), from a script written by Stephen Langford. M8 Entertainment's Stewart Hall will produce, along with Joe Anderson and Wendy Thorlakson. The film will commence principal photography on June 28th in the Caribbean.
Media 8's current slate of upcoming releases includes the Mike Binder-directed IThe Upside of Anger/I, a bittersweet comedy which is slated to be released in the US through New Line Cinema. IThe Upside of Anger/I stars three-time Academy Award nominee Joan Allen, two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Costner, Erika Christensen, Evan Rachel Wood, Keri Russell, and Alicia Witt. Also upcoming is ISanta's Slay/I, an action infused horror-comedy that casts everyone's favorite holiday figure, Santa, in an entirely new and sinister light. Media 8 is co- producing ISanta's Slay/I with Brett Ratner, and the film features WWE wrestling star Bill Goldberg as the devilish Santa Claus, alongside up-and-coming young stars Douglas Smith (IState's Evidence, Sleepover/I) and Emilie de Ravin ("Roswell"). Also forthcoming is IHavoc/I, Academy Award winner Stephen Gaghan's (ITraffic/I) searing music-driven story of teen culture as it clashes with the real world of urban Latino gangsters, directed by two-time Oscar winner Barbara Kopple, and starring Anne Hathaway and Bijou Phillips. |
