OT: Hellboy Helmer’s Labyrinth Comes to the U.S.

[KWAK!]

Picturehouse has purchased the North American rights to HELLBOY director Guillermo del Toro's dark fairy tale PAN'S LABYRINTH for nearly $6 million, reports the trades. Picturehouse president Bob Berney and Wild Bunch's Carole Baraton netted the long-in-the-works deal at Sundance.
source:
VFX WOLRD/NEWS (http://www.vfxworld.com/?sa=adv&code=3631a5a1&atype=news&id=15963)

Glad to hear they've found a US distributor, Can't wait to see the movie

[shonokin]

That's very cool to hear! Sad that it won't be playing until October, but good things come to those that wait. :)

Picturehouse has put up an official website now at http://www.panslabyrinth.com/

This is the official press release:
PICTUREHOUSE ACQUIRES GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S “PAN’S LABYRINTH”
Haunting fairy tale produced by Alfonso Cuarón, del Toro, Frida Torresblanco and Bertha Navarro

NEW YORK, January 23, 2006 — Bob Berney, president of Picturehouse, announced today that the company has acquired all North American rights to Guillermo del Toro’s haunting fairy tale PAN’S LABYRINTH starring Mirabel Verdú (Y tu mamá también), Sergi Lopez (Dirty Pretty Things), Ivana Baquero (Fragile) and Doug Jones (Hellboy).

PAN'S LABYRINTH is a fanciful and chilling story set against the backdrop of a fascist regime in 1944 rural Spain. The film centers on Ofelia, a lonely and dreamy child living with her mother and adoptive father; a military officer tasked with ridding the area of rebels. In her loneliness, Ofelia creates a world filled with fantastical creatures and secret destinies. With post-war repression at its height, Ofelia must come to terms with her world through a fable of her own creation.

“This is a stunning film; both in its visuals and narrative,” said Berney. “Guillermo is a master filmmaker and the ultimate film fan as well. It’s a pleasure to be working with him and my friends Alfonso and Frida.”

“This film has been the single most fulfilling creative experience of my career,” said del Toro. “Hopefully it represents a future direction for my work. PAN’S LABYRINTH is a passion project and it took over two years of my life to see it made the way I wanted it.”

“PAN’S LABYRINTH is an explosion of the full potential of Guillermo’s mind,” said Alfonso Cuarón.

Produced, written and directed by del Toro, PAN’S LABYRINTH was produced by Telecinco, through its production arm, Estudios Picasso, headed by Álvaro Augustin, Tequla Gang’s Bertha Navarro and del Toro and Esperanto Filmoj’s Alfonso Cuarón and Frida Torresblanco. The film’s producers are Cuarón, del Toro, Torresblanco and Navarro. The executive producer is Augustin. Longtime del Toro collaborator Guillermo Navarro served as director of photography.

Guillermo del Toro is best-known for Hellboy, Mimic, Cronos, The Devil’s Backbone (El Espinazo del Diablo) and Blade II. PAN’S LABYRINTH in Spanish is El Laberinto del Fauno.

The deal was brokered on behalf of Picturehouse by Berney, Sara Rose, Senior VP Acquisitions and Carolyn Blackwood, Senior VP Business and Legal Affairs for New Line Cinema and negotiated on behalf of the film by Carole Baraton at Wild Bunch.

Launched in April 2005, Picturehouse is the joint venture of two leaders of the entertainment community - HBO and New Line Cinema. Picturehouse currently has in release the critically acclaimed Israeli comedy by Gidi Dar, Ushpizin (The Guests). Upcoming films include Michael Winterbottom’s Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story starring Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon and Jeremy Northam; Mary Harron's The Notorious Bettie Page starring Gretchen Mol; Steven Shainberg’s Fur, which recently wrapped production and stars Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey, Jr.; and Robert Altman’s A Prairie Home Companion based on Garrison Keillor’s legendary radio variety show and starring Keillor (as himself), with Academy Award®-winners Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Tommy Lee Jones, Academy Award®-nominees Lily Tomlin, John C. Reilly, Woody Harrelson, Virginia Madsen, “Saturday Night Live’s” Maya Rudolph and Lindsay Lohan.

[Ivar_L]

Some very nice concept art here:
http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=22539

Like this picture:
http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/pics/panart2.jpg

[hellboyone]

Will Stout's one of the best.

R.

[shonokin]

Oooh beautiful. I wonder what the chances of an Art Of... book coming out in the U.S..

Along that line, I wonder if Mr Del Toro has ever thought of reproducing his notebooks as full color art books. He's a heck of an artist himself.

[Neil Hill]

Will Stout's one of the best.

R.

I definitely second that! William is a wonderful and celebrated talent, worthy of all the praise that he's been given throughout his career.

I was however surprised to see his booth at WonderCon a virtual ghost town (except for the creator himself of course). At SDCC his place is usually pretty hoppin.

[hellboyone]

Yeah...nobody knows this guy. I have 8 of his sketchbooks.

R.

[THE REAL kirk]

Stout's sketchbooks rock.

Sadly, GdT mentioned that William Stout was brought on during the early days of the movie and most of his designs were not used in the final picture. I hope Mr Stout is able to utilze some of this work in a future sketchbook.

[Jan Bentzen]

I have a version of Ray Bradbury´s "Dinosaur Tales" with a story illustrated by William Stout - "The Sound of Thunder" - just wonderfull art. SOT has just been made into a movie b.t.w.

- Jan

[Johann]

sweet nerve ghost, love the skull.

[Neil Hill]

SOT has just been made into a movie b.t.w.

- Jan


Yeah, but I think most people are trying to forget that Jan. :) The movie received absolutely scathing reviews here in the US, even though I'll admit that I have yet to see it. Maybe I'll make it a someday rental.