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Public offering will spotlight broadcast MUNICH If five years back anyone had dared to predict the recent developments at German media monolith the KirchGruppe, few would have believed them. Once [...]

LONDON TV and film industry veteran Michael Grade and heavyweight TV journalist David Dimbleby are reportedly in the running to become the next chairman of the BBC. Grade, the former [...]

CANNES Veteran German film player Alfred Holighaus has been appointed special coordinator to the Berlin Intl. Film festival. Holighaus, who most recently worked as the distribution honcho for Senator Film, [...]

BERLIN Road Movies co-founder Ulrich Felsberg has stepped down from his post as chairman of film production and licensing at parent company Das Werk to concentrate on Road Movies' activities. [...]

BERLIN The EM.TV rescue saga took a wrong turn Feb. 21 when the Intl. Automobile Federation (FIA) opposed a deal in which EM.TV will share its stake in Formula One [...]

John Malone is further flexing his muscle across the Euro Continent. His company Liberty Media and investor Gary Klesch's eponymous outfit have signed a letter of intent to buy majority [...]

BERLIN The main competition jury for the 51st Berlin Intl. Film Festival has been set, even as the potential actors strike casts a shadow on the fest's star contingent. Joining [...]

BERLIN Ex-Moving Pictures' publisher-producer Mike Downey and U.K. producer Sam Taylor have joined forces with the German film/music production and acquisitions entity Fame to form London-based Film and Music Entertainment [...]

BERLIN The death last week of Helkon Media co-founder and topper Werner Koenig, 37, saw the company's share price fall drastically, reflecting the challenge for Helkon of completing all that [...]

HOLLYWOOD Constantin Film and Intermedia have pacted to co-finance and distribute 'Resident Evil,' directed by Paul Anderson ('Mortal Kombat'), and 'Slap Her, She's French,' directed by Evan Dunsky. 'Resident Evil,' [...]

GERMANY German companies' pivotal role in the consolidation of the worldwide kidvid biz was demonstrated again as local player TV Loonland last week acquired Sony Wonder's production and distribution businesses. [...]

German conglom made its mark with global linkups BERLIN Celebrating its third decade in business this year, vertically integrated media house Tele-Munchen Group stands in a league of its own. [...]

BERLIN Tele-Munchen Group is getting more productive -- in features and TV series, that is. New partnerships are beginning to kick in, and there's a newfound desire to step up [...]

Another cashed-up Teutonic company is on a buying spree in Hollywood. Former Kirch exec Hans Peter Kaufmann has just acquired majority stakes in Brad Krevoy's Motion Picture Corp. of America, [...]

With 18 months remaining on their five-year deal with 20th Century Fox, high-profile producers Arnold and Anne Kopelson have leapfrogged into the ranks of Hollywood heavyweights cashing in on a [...]

BERLIN German multiplex chain CinemaxX is forming an international division to oversee its ambitious expansion plans, which the company is projecting will equal its domestic market activities by 2005. CinemaxX [...]

BERLIN Merger mania and the latest maneuverings of local moguls have sent tremors through Germany's broadcasting landscape. The reverberations have resulted in less independent channels and bigger, bolder broadcasting groups. [...]

CANNES Sony Pictures Classics' Michael Barker proclaimed it the worst Cannes market in 20 years. But Rainer Koelmel from German Kinowelt was so busy signing mucho-marks deals that he sometimes [...]

Former Kirch Group sales chief Michael Knobloch and upstart distrib Helkon Medien are forming a world sales and distribution outfit to be launched next week at the Mip TV trade [...]

BERLIN The Muppets and Formula One racing could only be brought under one roof by a man with a vivid imagination. But for the new owner of these diverse assets, [...]

The future head of German commercial web ProSieben has spoken out in favor of closer cooperation between ProSieben and private channel Sat.1. Urs Rohner, who will replace Georg Kofler Feb. [...]

BERLIN Euro TV giant CLT/Ufa has reached an agreement with Canal Plus to buy out the French pay TV player's stake in German channel Vox, according to published reports. In [...]

BERLIN On the heels of entering the German pay TV market, Rupert Murdoch has sold his biggest stake in the local free TV biz to European heavyweights CLT/Ufa, leaving local [...]

Germany BERLIN With old-timers and nouveau riche buyers rediscovering U.S. shows, Germany is showing renewed appetite for U.S. product. Pubcaster ZDF turned heads this spring by making a rare acquisition [...]

CANNES -- Bauer Martinez Distribution, the newly launched domestic distribution arm of Bauer Martinez Studios, has signed an agreement to distribute 'The Flock,' a $30 million thriller that Richard Gere [...]

20th Century Fox has acquired the spec script 'Who's Your Mama,' paying $750,000 against $1.25 million for the property. The project is inspired by the wave of suburban mothers who [...]

Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves have signed on to star in 'Il Mare' for Warner Bros. Pictures. The project will mark the first reteaming of the actors since their 1994 [...]

A management buyout has been concluded for Senator International and a decision made to rename the company Mandate Pictures. Senator International president Joe Drake, head of production Nathan Kahane and [...]

Universal Pictures has acquired film rights to the best-selling children's series 'Cirque Du Freak' by Irish author Darren Shan and has hired Brian Helgeland to adapt it. Lauren Shuler Donner [...]

Anthon Minghella is returning to the director's chair with 'Breaking and Entering,' a London-set drama that he also will write and produce with his Mirage Enterprises partner Sydney Pollack for [...]

Now that Viacom co-president Tom Freston has decided talent manager Brad Grey is the man to inject new life into Paramount Pictures, Hollywood is naturally asking whether Grey has the [...]

Jerry Bruckheimer will be herding talking animals in 'G-Force,' a live-action/CGI family feature film that has landed at Walt Disney Pictures with Bruckheimer attached to produce. 'G-Force' marks the directorial […]

Columbia Pictures' film adaptation of the best-selling 'The Da Vinci Code,' will roll out day-and-date worldwide on May 19, 2006, the studio said Tuesday. It also confirmed that Tom Hanks […]

Less than three weeks after Graham King's Initial Entertainment Group decided against financing 'The Good Shepherd,' the film appears to have found a new lease on lithe. Matt Damon is […]

Catherine Keener, Jennifer Aniston, Frances McDormand and Joan Cusack are negotiating to become best friends for 'Lovely & Keener Amazing' helmer Nicole Holofcener in 'Friends With Money.' The film revolves […]

Catherine Zeta-Jones and her 'Ocean's Twelve' producer Jerry Weintraub are reteaming on a new dramedy, 'The Ivy Chronicles,' for Warner Bros. Pictures. Based on a novel by author Karen Quinn, […]

Chris Pine has signed on to play opposite Lindsay Lohan in the untitled Lindsay Lohan Lucky project (previously known as 'Lady Luck') for Regency Enterprises and 20th Century Fox. The […]

Kathy Griffin has signed on to the new independent film 'Vegas Baby,' produced by Insomnia Entertainment. She will play the role of She-Elvis for writer-director Eric Bernt, one of the […]

Velvet Steamroller Prods. said Sunday that it has set up a number of new features and made some key appointments. The company has hired Steve Bulzoni as vp distribution and […]

On the eve of the American Film Market, which begins today, Myriad Pictures, Dream Entertainment and Southwick Pictures have all announced new acquisitions and distribution plans. Myriad confirmed Tuesday the […]

Melee Entertainment, formed last year by Bryan Turner and Scott Aronson, has reached an agreement with Paramount Pictures to produce music-based films using established recording artists in featured roles. It's […]

Gerard Depardieu and Giancarlo Esposito have signed on to 'The Last Holiday' for Paramount Pictures. They join Queen Latifah, Alicia Witt and LL Cool J in the remake of the […]

With several remakes under his belt, producer Scott Rudin is turning his attention to the 1958 B-movie 'The Blob' for Paramount Pictures. The Paramount-based producer, whose recent credits include 'The […]

Patricia Cardoso, who helmed HBO's 'Real Women Have Curves,' has signed on to direct the 'The Jane Plan' for Walt Disney Pictures. Penned by John Strauss, Ed Decter, Ron Burch […]

Revolution Studios, which founder Joe Roth named after a Beatles tune, has made a pre-emptive bid to acquire the musical screenplay pitch 'All You Need Is Love' by veteran British […]

Burt Reynolds and Willie Nelson are in final negotiations to join Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott and Jessica Simpson in 'The Dukes of Hazzard' for Warner Bros. Pictures and Village […]

Elie Samaha, whose Franchise Pictures filed for bankruptcy less than two months ago, has found a new position as co-head of a new foreign sales company, Gibraltar International. The company […]