'PIRATES' STEALS RUSSIAN BOX OFFICE
Variety
Jan 28 2008
CA
Film was top grossing film for 2007
By NICK HOLDSWORTHMOSCOW -- Jerry Bruckheimer's "Pirates of the
Caribbean: At World's End" was feted as Russia's top grossing movie
of 2007 at Monday's 11th Blockbuster awards ceremony.
The Buena Vista/Sony Pictures Russia release grossed $30.85 million
in Russia and former Soviet territories during another record-breaking
year when regional box office topped $565 million.
More than 300 of Russia's producers and distributors lauded another
boom year at the only local awards based purely on the commercial
business a film does.
"Pirates" didn't beat last year's top hitter, Russian sci-fi thriller
"Day Watch" (Dnevnoi Dozor), which took more than $34 million. But
that failed to dampen the mood of industry executives in a market
where the annual B.O is expected to be near $1 billion by 2010.
Distributor of the year was UPI, which accounted for just under $96
million of the 2007 B.O., representing almost $1 out of every $5 spent
at the ticket turnstile in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other CIS
former Soviet territories.
Top grossing Hollywood studio in Russia was Paramount/DreamWorks with
$65.4 million ticket sales; Paramount international theatrical boss
Andrew Cripps relayed his thanks to the execs who put in the leg work
to help achieve that figure in a video link screened at the awards,
hosted at the Renaissance Moscow Hotel.
Producer of the year was Ruben Dishdishian, the Armenian-born
founder of Moscow production, sales and distribution shingle Central
Partnership.
Founded ten years ago, Central Partnership's fantasy adventure epic
"Wolfhound" directed by Nikolai Lebedev was the biggest-grossing
Russian-made film last year, taking just over $20 million.
Dishdishian produced "Mermaid," directed by Anna Melikyan, who won
best dramatic director for the pic at Sundance.
In home entertainment sales Universal Pictures Intl. took top honors
for DVD sales of Zack Snyder's Greek Spartan battle spectacular "300"
and also scooped the best DVD distributor award.
Alexander Semenov, publisher of Russian Film Business Today and
founder of the awards said: "Russian box office is growing because
more people are going to see films not once or twice but three or four
times. Box office this year could reach between $750 million and $800
million but everything depends on the quality of films on release,
particularly those from the Hollywood majors."
More than one option(Film) Pirates (Film) Pyrates (Tv) Pirates More
than one option(Person) Nikolai Lebedev Actor (Person) Nikolai Lebedev
Director, ScreenplayMore than one option(Co) Film Business (Person)
Film Business
Variety
Jan 28 2008
CA
Film was top grossing film for 2007
By NICK HOLDSWORTHMOSCOW -- Jerry Bruckheimer's "Pirates of the
Caribbean: At World's End" was feted as Russia's top grossing movie
of 2007 at Monday's 11th Blockbuster awards ceremony.
The Buena Vista/Sony Pictures Russia release grossed $30.85 million
in Russia and former Soviet territories during another record-breaking
year when regional box office topped $565 million.
More than 300 of Russia's producers and distributors lauded another
boom year at the only local awards based purely on the commercial
business a film does.
"Pirates" didn't beat last year's top hitter, Russian sci-fi thriller
"Day Watch" (Dnevnoi Dozor), which took more than $34 million. But
that failed to dampen the mood of industry executives in a market
where the annual B.O is expected to be near $1 billion by 2010.
Distributor of the year was UPI, which accounted for just under $96
million of the 2007 B.O., representing almost $1 out of every $5 spent
at the ticket turnstile in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other CIS
former Soviet territories.
Top grossing Hollywood studio in Russia was Paramount/DreamWorks with
$65.4 million ticket sales; Paramount international theatrical boss
Andrew Cripps relayed his thanks to the execs who put in the leg work
to help achieve that figure in a video link screened at the awards,
hosted at the Renaissance Moscow Hotel.
Producer of the year was Ruben Dishdishian, the Armenian-born
founder of Moscow production, sales and distribution shingle Central
Partnership.
Founded ten years ago, Central Partnership's fantasy adventure epic
"Wolfhound" directed by Nikolai Lebedev was the biggest-grossing
Russian-made film last year, taking just over $20 million.
Dishdishian produced "Mermaid," directed by Anna Melikyan, who won
best dramatic director for the pic at Sundance.
In home entertainment sales Universal Pictures Intl. took top honors
for DVD sales of Zack Snyder's Greek Spartan battle spectacular "300"
and also scooped the best DVD distributor award.
Alexander Semenov, publisher of Russian Film Business Today and
founder of the awards said: "Russian box office is growing because
more people are going to see films not once or twice but three or four
times. Box office this year could reach between $750 million and $800
million but everything depends on the quality of films on release,
particularly those from the Hollywood majors."
More than one option(Film) Pirates (Film) Pyrates (Tv) Pirates More
than one option(Person) Nikolai Lebedev Actor (Person) Nikolai Lebedev
Director, ScreenplayMore than one option(Co) Film Business (Person)
Film Business