Maverick goes Int'l. at Cannes
Launching a new
international division seems to be have paid off for Maverick at the
Cannes Market, part of the Cannes Film Festival last week on the French
Riviera.
At Cannes, Maverick signed sales deals in
Eastern and Western Europe and Latin America for seven of its titles:This
Thing of Ours, Nora’s Hair Salon, Bahama Hustle, A Night in Compton, 3
Play, Carlita’s Secret and Surrender.
The
company’s other titles being offered internationally included horror titles
Mr. Hell, Side FX and Woods of Evil.
Maverick
also has picked up international rights to the western Gang of
Roses, which was released on DVD in the U.S. by Sony. The film stars
Louis Mandylor (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and rapper Lil’
Kim.
Additionally at Cannes, Maverick picked up rights to four
films for its domestic Creep FX horror label: The Toybox, The Brink,
Blood Descendants and Slip, the latter of which also will carry
the Maverick Platinum label for higher quality
films.
Known more for its domestic DVD premiere offerings, Maverick announced at
the 2005 American Film Market plans to launch Maverick Global under the
leadership of director of international sales Jack
Campbell.
“We’ve diversified,” says Maverick president Doug
Schwab.
Although the company still releases what Schwab calls
“theatrically challenged” films—a.k.a. direct to video—the company also is
releasing titles with budgets of more than $1 million that have limited
theatrical runs.
“I personally think there will always be a
place for the niche DVD premiere films that fill a void that the studios
don’t have a constant flow of,” Schwab says. “But it’s becoming more
competitive, so the films need to be even better within that
niche.”
To hedge against competitive pressures, Maverick also has
diversified into other markets such as TV and
video-on-demand.
At Cannes, Schwab says he was looking to acquire comedies, thrillers
and even family films, which he says do well outside the U.S. even if
they’re DVD premieres.
“In the U.S., [independent]
direct-to-video family films are a tough sell because the majors have a lock on
them, but overseas, they’ll get a second look,” he explains. |