Focus Features has opened a new action, thriller and urban dedicated label called Rogue Pictures, reported VARIETY. Supervision of the new unit will be headed by Focus' management team. Focus president of distribution Jack Foley will be the go-to man on Rogue releases. The first film to be released by the new arm with the forthcoming CHILD'S PLAY sequel, THE SEED OF CHUCKY, directed and written by series creator Don Mancini.
Other films to be released under the Rogue name are Jet Li's DANNY THE DOG and the remake of the cult classic action film, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13. The Jet Li project is in post and was produced by Luc Besson's Europa Corp. Louis Leterrier directed the Scotland-set film, which follows Danny (Jet Li) who is raised like a slave by Bart (Bob Hoskins) to earn money in illegal fighting competitions, until a car accident lands Danny under the kindly care of a blind piano tuner (Morgan Freeman).
This move is seen as a way for Focus to compete in the mainstream cinema market and separate genre fare from its more legit offerings like THE PIANIST, FAR FROM HEAVEN, LOST IN TRANSLATION, 21 GRAMS and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
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