It’s the end of the line for Overture Films at Starz Media.
Sources tell me that the plucky indie company will be shut down by Starz if a deal isn’t made to sell it soon.
This is especially bad news for the nice guys who run it–Chris McGurk and Danny Rossett. It’s also disconcerting because Overture houses Anchor Bay, the subsidiary about to release the very good “Solitary Man” this coming Friday.
If “Solitary Man” collapses because of Overture’s craziness, it would be a terrible shame. This well written and directed comedy-drama has wonderful performances from Michael Douglas, Susan Sarandon, and Danny DeVito.
But Overture itself has really hosted a list of bad and nearly unreleasable films, from “Brooklyn’s Finest” to “Mad Money.” Their most recent release was “The Crazies.” The only decent release in the bunch was “The Visitor,” from Tom McCarthy and featuring an Oscar nominated Richard Jenkins.
Overture’s situation leaves in doubt the fate of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s “Jack Goes Boating,” Robert DeNiro in “Stone,” and Matt Reeves’ “Let Me In.” I suppose they will all find homes.
With the major change at Apparition this week, and this news, the indie world continues to be a desperate place.
Image: PRphotos.com
