Paramount Pictures has extended its agreement with The Montecito Picture Company and Cold Spring Pictures to run through February 2012. The arrangement gives the studio an exclusive first look at Montecito's diverse productions, as well as the non-exclusive opportunity to co-finance films through Montecito's financing facility, Cold Spring Pictures.
The Montecito Picture Company was set up in 1998 by Ivan Reitman, the creative force behind ANIMAL HOUSE, STRIPES, GHOSTBUSTERS, DAVE, TWINS and more, and Tom Pollock, former Universal Pictures Chairman, under whose tenure worldwide hits including JURASSIC PARK, CAPE FEAR and APOLLO 13 and the release of more than 200 films. Together, Reitman and Pollock produced cult hits OLD SCHOOL and ROAD TRIP, among others. In 2006, Reitman and Pollock set up film financing arm, Cold Spring Pictures, with Merrill Lynch and other financial partners.
Montecito, through DreamWorks, produced for Paramount the hit thriller DISTURBIA (2007), which debuted number one at the box office where it remained for three consecutive weekends. Ultimately, DISTURBIA earned more than $117 million worldwide and solidified Montecito, Cold Spring and Paramount's partnership.
This year, the three entities have a slate of diverse films. In January, Montecito, Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures released family friendly HOTEL FOR DOGS starring Emma Roberts and Don Cheadle. Montecito and Paramount also partnered to release THE UNINVITED on January 31. The bone-chilling horror film, based on the Korean movie A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, is directed by Thomas and Charles Guard, and stars Elizabeth Banks and David Strathairn.
Montecito and Paramount are pairing up on the March release of comedy I LOVE YOU, MAN helmed by John Hamburg, produced by Donald De Line with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel starring, and in the fall, Montecito, Cold Spring and Paramount will release the topical comedy UP IN THE AIR starring George Clooney with Jason Reitman directing from his screenplay.
In addition to the Paramount movies, The Montecito Picture Company and Cold Spring Pictures will release POST GRAD starring Alexis Bledel and Michael Keaton, directed by Vicky Jenson through Fox Atomic in August, and are in production currently with CHLOE, an erotic thriller for StudioCanal, starring Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried, directed by Atom Egoyan.
