Lightning Ent. to sell WHOLE LOTTA SOLE, KIKORIKI
The following press release appeared in Screen International in May 17, 2012. Written by Jeremy Kay.
EXCLUSIVE: The Santa Monica-based company will commence talks with international buyers here on the comedy Whole Lotta Love starring Brendan Fraser and Russian 3D animation Kikoriki: Team Invincible produced by Timur Bekmambetov.
US sales agent WME Global reported a strong response to the premiere of Whole Lotta Sole in Tribeca last month and a Stateside deal is expected imminently. Terry George directed the story of a botched fish market robbery that leads to the involvement of the police and a wronged gangster. Martin McCann, Colm Meaney, YaYa DaCosta and David O’Hara also star.
George co-wrote the screenplay with Thomas Gallagher and produced with Simon Bosanquet, David Gorder and Jay Russell. Richard Guardian negotiated the deal for Lightning Entertainment and serves as a consultant on the project.
Riki Group’s Kikoriki: Team Invincible – the first full-length Russian production in 3D – has grossed more than $8.5m at the Russian box office and is based on the Russian TV animated series. Denis Chernov directed from Alexei Lebedev’s screenplay about the inhabitants of an idyllic island who discover a television. Lightning is screening an English-language version here written by a US team led by Mike de Seve.
“Both films are highly accessible, crowd-pleasing and most importantly, thoroughly entertaining features with universal appeal,” Lightning Entertainment president Robert Beaumont said.