Friends Wallpaper, #18526

Wrekin Hill Entertainment acquired U.S. rights to Gabriele Salvatores’ Siberian Education. Based on the novel by Nicolai Lilin, with a screenplay by Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli and Salvatores, the film stars John Malkovich, Arnas Feravicius, Vilius Tumalavicius, Eleanor Tomlinson, Peter Stormare, Jonas Trukanas and Vitalji Porsnev. Set in the ghetto of Soviet Russia, Siberian Education follows the path of two boys who are members of a gang of exiled Siberians. The best friends grow up together, mastering a unique education focused on illegal arts such as theft, banditry and weaponry. Their clan has its very own stringent code of honor, which, while criminal, sometimes actually coincides with what is generally considered ethical and moral. It is a code that must never be broken, no matter what. As the boys turn to men, everything they have come to know and learn is tested. The film’s produced by Catteya’s Riccardo Tozzi, Giovanni Satabilini, Marco Chimenz, and executive produced by Gina Gardini. The deal for the film was negotiated by Rene Cogan and Alex Mandell for Wrekin Hill with WestEnd Films on behalf of the filmmakers. WestEnd is handling international sales on this title. Wrekin Hill will release the film in late 2013. It has already been released in several territories including Italy ... Read More »

Fox International Productions‘ German operation had a big hit this year with The Break-Up Man, the comedy that grossed $24M locally and is being eyed as a U.S. remake. FIP Germany is now moving ahead on two new local-language projects. Shooting starts in late summer on the adaption of Andreas Steinhöfel’s children’s book Rico, Oskar And The Pasta Detectives. Neele Leana Vollmar is directing the story of friends Rico and Oskar. When Oskar disappears, Rico goes on a wild hunt throughout Berlin to save him. Alexandra Maria Lara (Downfall) plays Rico’s mother with Elyas M’Barek (The Wave), Ronald Zehrfeld (Barbara) and Milan Peschl (What A Man) also aboard. Also upcoming is Marco Petry’s teen comedy Playing Doctor which he co-wrote with Jan Ehlert. The Lieblingsfilm Munchen production will be produced by Robert Marciniak and Philipp Budweg. Marco Mehlitz, FIP Germany’s head of production and development, is overseeing both films.