Mandalay Vision and Wind Dancer Films’ Project Stars Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, and Shirley MacLaine
Los Angeles, CA (April 21, 2011) – Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park International has come aboard to handle international rights on Richard Linklater’s BERNIE starring Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, and Shirley MacLaine. BERNIE was written by Linklater and Skip Hollandsworth, and produced by Linklater, Ginger Sledge, Wind Dancer Films’ Matt Williams, David McFadzean, Judd Payne, Dete Meserve, Mandalay Vision’s Celine Rattray, and Martin Shafer and Liz Glotzer. Dick Pope is the Director of Photography.
HPI’s president Mimi Steinbauer will be spearheading the international sales on behalf of the project which is currently in post-production.
BERNIE is a dark comedy about a relationship in a small East Texas town between a fussy, but beloved assistant funeral home director (Black) and the town’s domineering grande dame (MacLaine). The film is based on “Midnight in the Garden of East Texas,” an article published in Texas Monthly magazine in 1998. The article chronicles the life of Bernie Tiede, who transformed the town of Carthage with his generosity and who then, to the disbelief of Carthage residents, was arrested for a serious crime.
Amritraj said, “Richard is an incredibly talented filmmaker with a track record that speaks for itself. We look forward to working with Mandalay and Wind Dancer as we bring the picture to the international marketplace.”
Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park International has become one of the most important foreign sales companies in the world and is a permanent fixture at Cannes, Berlin, and the American Film Market. The company is focused on representing commercial fare as well as award-winning films that serve the global marketplace.
The company’s sales slate includes GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE 3D in partnership with Sony and starring Nic Cage; the spy thriller THE DOUBLE; the international best-seller ECHLEON from Andy McNab; Robert Rodriguez’ MACHETE; as well as indie favorites such as The Weinstein Company’s award-winning BLUE VALENTINE and the Paul Rudd comedy OUR IDIOT BROTHER; and Occupant Films’ PEEP WORLD starring Sarah Silverman, Rainn Wilson, and Michael C. Hall.
