M8 Entertainment Inc. (TSX: MEE.MV.A and MEE.SV.B), a leading film entertainment company engaged in the production, financing, acquisition, and worldwide licensing of theatrical feature films in a variety of genres, announced today that it has acquired all international distribution rights to the critically acclaimed comedy Pretty Persuasion from Prospect Pictures. M8 will introduce the film to its international distributors at the upcoming American Film Market in November, where the film will be screened for buyers.
A clever and delightfully wicked satire of teen life, Pretty Persuasion features a star-making lead performance by one of today's most talented young actresses, Evan Rachel Wood (The Upside of Anger, Thirteen), with strong supporting performances by James Woods (Be Cool, Any Given Sunday) and Ron Livingston (Adaptation, Office Space). The film is directed by award-winning music video director Marcos Siega from a script by Skander Halim, and is produced by Todd Dagres, Carl Levin, Marcos Siega, and Matthew Weaver.
In this sophisticated comedy, Wood plays Kimberly Joyce, an intelligent, funny, precocious, and shockingly cruel Beverly Hills teenager who will stop at nothing to become famous. Believing the world is an orchestra and she is the conductor, Kimberly masterfully manipulates all those around her, including her befuddled teacher, Mr. Anderson (Livingston), her father (Woods), her friends, and even a local TV reporter (Jane Krakowski of TV's “Ally McBeal”), until soon Kimberly has trapped her entire community in a carefully woven web of seduction and deceit.
After having its world premiere in competition at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, Pretty Persuasion was released in North America in August 2005 by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Roadside Attractions. The film has received rave reviews from many top critics, such as the New York Times' Stephen Holden, who described the film as “gleefully nasty,” and the Los Angeles Times' Cariana Chocano, who called it “outrageously funny.” Pretty Persuasion also made its international premiere on September 8th, 2005, at the Deauville Film Festival.
Prospect Pictures is a creatively driven film and television production company with projects in active development at the major studios. In addition, through relationships with leading capital providers, Prospect finances independent films with both upcoming new voices and established talent. Prospect's next feature is the romantic comedy Barry Munday staring Luke Wilson which goes into production in February 2006.
M8 Entertainment's most recent release is The Upside of Anger, a dramatic comedy written and directed by Mike Binder, and starring Academy Award winner Kevin Costner and Academy Award nominee Joan Allen, which was released by New Line Cinema in spring 2005. Previous M8 Entertainment releases include the critically acclaimed drama Monster, starring Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci, and for which Charlize Theron won the 2004 Academy Award for Best Actress. Upcoming M8 Entertainment releases include Running Scared, an action-drama written and directed by Wayne Kramer, and starring Paul Walker, which will be released in North America by New Line Cinema in January 2006. Other upcoming M8 Entertainment films include Lovewrecked, a charming teen comedy starring Amanda Bynes (What A Girl Wants) and directed by Randal Kleiser (Grease, Honey I Blew Up the Kid) and Man About Town, a dramatic comedy set in the world of Hollywood super-agents, which is written and directed by Mike Binder, and stars Ben Affleck and Rebecca Romijn. |
