Thursday, March 28, 2024

Claim: “Hunger Games” Studio ‘Dumped’ Highly Praised Film With Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks

Share

LionsGate has two movies this fall with 90% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is about to break box office records this weekend with a possible $150 million-plus take. Maybe the studio can use some of that money on the other 90-percenter, “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete.”

Relegated to LG’s Codeblack unit–designed to handle “urban films”– “Mister and Pete” has made a startling $496,508 since its release on October 11th. Directed by the respected and talented George Tillman Jr., “Mister and Pete” stars Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, plus top tier actors Jeffrey Wright and Anthony Mackie. The movie was executive produced by Alicia Keys.

A coming of age story, the film should have been embraced as a “Stand by Me” for 2013. Critics loved it when it premiered at Sundance last January. Critics loved the final version, which was tightened up and tweaked in the editing room, sources say, by Anne McCabe (“The Newsroom).”

Instead, insiders claim, it was summarily dumped. Sources –there are at least 25 producers credited– pointed out to me that on opening day “Lions Gate didn’t even take out an ad in the New York Times.” That’s when you know you’re dead, kids. “They pitched it as a ‘black movie,’ which it isn’t, and it had no ads.

(UPDATE: Sources clarified to me that it wasn’t a matter of publicity. “It was the way the movie was marketed and distributed.”)

“Alicia Keys even has a brand new song in it that would be eligible for an Oscar. But nothing happened.” The movie was also given a throwaway “premiere” in New York–basically a photo op. (I’m not sure why studios even bother with those things.)

This would certainly contradict yesterday’s hilariously weird story in The Hollywood Reporter titled “Whites Suddenly Gripped by Black Dramas.” Apparently not. No one was gripped by “Mister and Pete” because it arrived as invisible entity.

What now? A rep for Lions Gate says they decline to comment. If DVDs or even download links are sent out to groups like the Broadcast Film Critics Association there’s still a chance that the situation is salvageable. It’s unclear if any effort is being made to get the voting guilds to special screenings. “Jennifer Hudson gives a best supporting performance,” says an insider. It would be a shame if this was just another “inevitable” defeat.

Maybe Katniss Everdeen can save it.

 

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.
spot_img

Read more

In Other News