Every week, I get several press releases, screening invitations and other notifications from a handful of studio contacts. While I won’t be sharing any information regarding my screening invites, some of the press releases might be of interest to my readers, so I thought I’d start sharing them in toto with all of you. These could include new image galleries for various films or important updates to upcoming releases from various smaller studios and art house production companies.

• Press Release: The Weinstein Company to Finance and Distribute “The Ends of the Earth”
• Press Release: Grey Rembert Joints Kennedy/Marshall

Press Release: The Weinstein Company to Finance and Distribute “The Ends of the Earth”

THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY TO FINANCE AND DISTRIBUTE THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE JENNIFER LAWRENCE IN DISCUSSIONS TO STAR

ESCAPE ARTISTS TO PRODUCE

New York, NY – August 6, 2012 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that they will finance and distribute THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. They have acquired worldwide rights from Escape Artists, who will produce the film. Jennifer Lawrence (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, THE HUNGER GAMES, WINTER’S BONE) is in discussions to star in the epic love story, based on true events, as Lydie Marland. In THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, powerful oil tycoon Ernest Marland loses everything after engaging in a controversial love affair with his adopted daughter Lydie. The screenplay was written by Chris Terrio (ARGO). The director has yet to be chosen. The announcement was made today by TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein, COO David Glasser and President of Production Dylan Sellers.

Said Weinstein, “I’m not sure that anything resonates more with an audience than a true story. Jennifer Lawrence shows the skill of a seasoned veteran in everything she does, and we’re thrilled to work with her again.”

Added Sellers, “Chris has brought to life with his writing one of the most epic love stories that people have yet to really discover. We knew right away that this script was something special.”

“Uniting with TWC on this project will allow this amazing true story to come to life in an artful and beautiful way,” said Escape Artists’ principal co-owner Todd Black. “We couldn’t be happier to be on board with them and to get the chance to uncover this story for audiences everywhere.”

TWC and Escape Artists made the deal based on the screenplay by Terrio. The deal was negotiated by TWC’s Glasser, President, Business and Legal Affairs Andrew Kramer, and VP, Business and Legal Affairs Adrian Lopez and Escape Artists Executive Vice President David Bloomfield.

Sellers and Julie Rapaport, Vice President, Production and Business Development, will oversee the film for TWC along with Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch and Lance Johnson.

ABOUT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in 1979. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, which has released such popular franchises as SCREAM, SPY KIDS and SCARY MOVIE. Together TWC and Dimension Films have released a broad range of mainstream, genre and specialty films that have been commercial and critical successes. TWC releases took home eight 2012 Academy Awards®, the most wins in the studio’s history. The tally included Best Picture for Michel Hazanavicius’s THE ARTIST and Best Documentary Feature for TJ Martin and Dan Lindsay’s UNDEFEATED. THE ARTIST brought TWC its second consecutive Best Picture statuette following the 2011 win for Tom Hooper’s THE KING’S SPEECH.

Since 2005, TWC and Dimension Films have released such films as GRINDHOUSE; I’M NOT THERE; THE GREAT DEBATERS; VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; THE READER; THE ROAD; HALLOWEEN; THE PAT TILLMAN STORY; PIRANHA 3D; INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS; A SINGLE MAN; BLUE VALENTINE; THE COMPANY MEN; MIRAL; SCRE4M; SUBMARINE; DIRTY GIRL; APOLLO 18; OUR IDIOT BROTHER; I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT; SARAH’S KEY; SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D; MY WEEK WITH MARILYN; THE IRON LADY; W.E.; CORIOLANUS; UNDEFEATED; THE ARTIST; and BULLY. Currently in release are EASY MONEY and THE INTOUCHABLES. Upcoming releases include LAWLESS; KILLING THEM SOFTLY; THE MASTER; and SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK. Currently in production is DJANGO UNCHAINED.

TWC is also active in television production, led by former Miramax Films President of Production and current President of Television Meryl Poster, with credits including the Emmy® nominated and Peabody Award winning reality series Project Runway, spin-off series Project Accessory and Project Runway All Stars, the VH1 reality series Mob Wives, and the critically acclaimed HBO comedy/crime series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency which also received a Peabody Award. The company is currently in pre-production on the martial-arts epic Marco Polo for Starz as well as production on the second season of Mob Wives and the newest installment in the series’ franchise Mob Wives Chicago. TWC additionally has 17 series in different stages of development, including The Nanny Diaries, being adapted for ABC by Amy Sherman Palladino (Gilmore Girls).

Press Release: Grey Rembert Joints Kennedy/Marshall

GREY REMBERT JOINS THE KENNEDY/MARSHALL COMPANY AS PRESIDENT OF PRODUCTION

Frank Marshall now sole head of the company

(Los Angeles, August 9, 2012) – As part of the newly reorganized Kennedy/Marshall Company, founder Frank Marshall announced today that respected development executive Grey Rembert – longtime colleague of Kennedy and Marshall – will come on board as President of Production. Marshall will now be sole head of the company.

The announcement comes at a busy time for the company, which has Tony Gilroy’s THE BOURNE LEGACY being released on August 10th and is currently in post-production on Steven Spielberg’s upcoming LINCOLN. They also have many film, television and gaming projects in development, including the fourth installment of the blockbuster franchise JURASSIC PARK. The Kennedy/Marshall Company, which has a longstanding first-look film deal with DreamWorks, recently announced a two-year overall deal with CBS Television Studios, and also has plans to expand into documentaries and digital media.

“I couldn’t be more excited to have Grey joining me at Kennedy/Marshall,” said Marshall. “She is a talented, seasoned professional and it is a pleasure to be reunited since she began her career working for me and Kathy at Amblin.”

“I’m excited by this opportunity to work with longtime friends and family. Kathy and Frank inspired me to work in the movie business and gave me the best training ground at Amblin Entertainment. Working alongside Frank is a dream come true…it just doesn’t get better than this” said Rembert.

Grey Rembert is a feature film executive who most recently served as Senior VP of Development at GK Films. While at GKF, Rembert championed such projects as HUGO which was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and went on to win five Oscars. Her six years at GK Films also included collaboration on such acclaimed projects as: THE TOWN, THE TOURIST, THE RUM DIARY, and THE YOUNG VICTORIA

Before GK Films, Rembert was an executive at DreamWorks, specializing in acquiring literary material for feature film development.

Rembert got her start in the business 25 years ago, when the Pepperdine grad was hired by Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall at Amblin Entertainment.

The Kennedy/Marshall Company has produced such Academy Award nominated Best Picture films as WAR HORSE (six nominations), THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (thirteen nominations) THE SIXTH SENSE, (six nominations) and SEABISCUIT (seven nominations), as well as blockbusters including the BOURNE series and THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN. The Kennedy/Marshall Company continues to expand its current slate of projects via its development deals with DreamWorks and CBS TV Studios.