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Canadian screen industry boosts production volume to $5.9 billion: report
Profile 2012: An Economic Report on the Screen-based Production Industry in Canada reported a drop in foreign location shoots, but an increase in both Canadian TV and theatrical production.
Nat Geo greenlights Okies vs. Aliens pilot
The show, produced by Toronto’s Shark Teeth Films, follows a team of nuisance control experts as they travel through Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana in search of “menacing invasive species.”
Atom Egoyan’s Queen of the Night begins production
Bruce Greenwood joins Ryan Reynolds, Scott Speedman, Rosario Dawson and Mireille Enos in the psychological thriller, which will shoot in Sudbury through February and then move to Niagara Falls and Toronto.
Mercury Active acquires Riptide Games
The digital entertainment studio will purchase Riptide’s proprietary gaming library and design and production services unit.
B.C. producers pursue TV co-productions with U.K. partners
The British Columbia-U.K. co-production forum in London and Manchester this week comes as Vancouver reduces its reliance on Hollywood film and TV production.
Lionsgate’s Sea to Sky opening Toronto office
The indie studio’s 50-50 joint venture with Thunderbird Films will shortly announce an executive to head up the new office aimed at gauging the needs of Canadian broadcasters.
Film Movement takes U.S. rights to Jeff Kopas’ An Insignificant Harvey
The U.S. distribution deal, inked at Sundance, calls for a March 2013 release of the debut feature that stars Jordan Prentice (pictured right), Kristin Adams and Art Hindle.
In the writers’ room with Motive
Showrunner James Thorpe and writers Dennis Heaton and Daegan Fryklind on penning a police procedural that attempts to bring viewers a novel emotional journey in the “whydunit?”
Tapped film taps a UFC star-studded cast
Director Allan Ungar (pictured left) tells Playback about how MMA fan interest in the yet-to-be-marketed film is being piqued online, and that he also wants to hit up the Karate Kid retro audience with the film.
New B.C. creative industries support gets lukewarm reception
The three-part BC Creative Futures includes the launch of Creative B.C., a non-profit society which will get $1 million from the province for research, development and international marketing.
Resident Evil-makers take on Pompeii
The Roman-era disaster film is booked into Toronto’s Cinespace Film Studios (Resident Evil pictured).
Laurence Anyways, War Witch lead Jutra nominations
Six films are vying for the Golden Ticket prize, awarded based on a weighting system that considers box office, festival entries, award wins and international distribution sales: Bestiaire, Truck, Laurence Anyways (pictured), Monsieur Lazhar, Starbuck and War Witch.
Weekly roundup: Festival lineups, new apps and renewals
Among other news, Kim Nguyen’s War Witch (pictured) will play at the up-coming Toronto Black Film Festival, and Vancouver’s Core Music Agency unveils a host of new composers it’s managing.
Robert Walak leaves Alliance Films after Entertainment One takeover
Also leaving is Jon Bourdillon, who headed up home entertainment in the U.K. for Entertainment One and, previously, Contender Entertainment.
Phase 4 Films acquires Canadian rights to I Declare War
The Toronto-based distributor will release the film from co-directors Jason Lapeyre and Robert Wilson day-and-date in theatres and on on-demand on digital and VOD platforms this spring.
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