The Hollywood Reporter has released its second American Film Market daily issue, which features a look at the unusual lack of male-driven action films, a recap of Bob Weinstein’s TWC-Dimension presentation and a chat with the co-founders of Aardman Animation.
“It’s Working”
The gender gap that used to loom large at AFM — that most macho of film markets — is closing fast as industry economics push buyers and sellers toward more female-focused features. This year’s hot projects feature the likes of Glenn Close, Margot Robbie and Dakota Fanning. One exec tells THR: “The traditional male-oriented feature — the $35 million action movie with Jason Statham, Gerald Butler or Nicolas Cage — that business is sort of dead now because it’s a very risky proposition. Distributors are looking for movies that can play equally well male-female or that are female-centric.”
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Dimension’s Slimmed Slate
Bob Weinstein presented a new-look TWC-Dimension on Wednesday. “Looking in the past, I was producing seven or eight films a year. The quality suffered, and so did the results,” he told buyers. “I have decided to bring productions to three or four at the most. I’ve decided to make them bigger-budgeted, actor- and star-driven, but still with the idea of creating franchises of a bigger nature.” The biggest star-driven title from the banner’s upcoming slate was the first to be showcased: Mark Wahlberg’s Six Billion Dollar Man reboot.
Inside Aardman Animation
After a short absence from the big screen, Aardman has returned with a welcome bang — a sequel recently was confirmed for last year’s Shaun the Sheep Movie, and Nick Park is now back in the director’s chair after more than a decade for the animated prehistoric adventure Early Man (both on offer at AFM via StudioCanal), which boasts the voice talents of Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston. The two tell THR of their early, humble ambitions, almost making a blockbuster and being the respected misfits in the animation world.
Click here to download the Day 2 PDF.
Click here to download the Day 1 PDF.
