Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Overture Films Is “Over” at Starz Media

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It’s the end of the line for Overture Films at Starz Media.

Sources tell me that the plucky indie company will be shut down by Starz if a deal isn’t made to sell it soon.

This is especially bad news for the nice guys who run it–Chris McGurk and Danny Rossett. It’s also disconcerting because Overture houses Anchor Bay, the subsidiary about to release the very good “Solitary Man” this coming Friday.

If “Solitary Man” collapses because of Overture’s craziness, it would be a terrible shame. This well written and directed comedy-drama has wonderful performances from Michael Douglas, Susan Sarandon, and Danny DeVito.

But Overture itself has really hosted a list of bad and nearly unreleasable films, from “Brooklyn’s Finest” to “Mad Money.” Their most recent release was “The Crazies.” The only decent release in the bunch was “The Visitor,” from Tom McCarthy and featuring an Oscar nominated Richard Jenkins.

Overture’s situation leaves in doubt the fate of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s “Jack Goes Boating,” Robert DeNiro in “Stone,” and Matt Reeves’ “Let Me In.” I suppose they will all find homes.

With the major change at Apparition this week, and this news, the indie world continues to be a desperate place.

Image: PRphotos.com

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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