FOCUS FEATURES BEGINS PRODUCTION ON UNTITLED ROMANTIC COMEDY

From:Daily Variety
Date:Mar. 7, 2005
By JUSTIN CHANG

GOLDEN BROOKS, MIKE EPPS, DONALD FAISON, TARAJI P. HENSON, BLAIR UNDERWOOD, ALFRE WOODARD JOIN CAST

LOS ANGELES -- March 7, 2005 -- Production began this week on Focus Features' untitled romantic comedy starring Sanaa Lathan (Brown Sugar, Alien vs. Predator) and Simon Baker (The Ring Two, L.A. Confidential) and directed by Sanaa Hamri. Stephanie Allain is producing the film through her company, Homegrown Pictures. Focus holds worldwide rights to the movie. Focus co-presidents David Linde and James Schamus made the announcement today.

Joining the two leads in the feature are Golden Brooks (star of the popular sitcom Girlfriends, and soon to be seen in Beauty Shop), Mike Epps (upcoming in Guess Who and The Honeymooners), Donald Faison (from the hit NBC series Scrubs), Taraji P. Henson (of this summer's Hustle & Flow and Four Brothers), four-time NAACP Image Award winner Blair Underwood, and four-time Emmy Award winner Alfre Woodard.

Ms. Hamri, a top director of music videos, is making her feature directorial debut on the movie. The original screenplay is by Kriss Turner (The Bernie Mac Show), with recent revisions by Lisa Jones (Disappearing Acts) and Kasi Lemmons (Eve's Bayou). Preston Holmes is executive-producing the film. Focus executive vice president, production Joe Pichirallo is supervising the project for the company, reporting to president of production John Lyons.

The movie is about finding love when and where it's least expected. Kenya (played by Ms. Lathan) is a career woman who, while a "type A" success professionally, yearns for comparable personal satisfaction. Looking for that "perfect man," she even has a checklist at the ready. Much to her surprise, she sets off sparks with Brian (Mr. Baker), who's not what she'd pictured for herself. They share a mutual attraction, passion, and a deepening connection. Can Kenya retire her checklist, sweep aside preconceptions, and commit to a future with Brian?

Mr. Linde and Mr. Schamus said, "At Focus, we look for love stories that feed both heart and soul. Sanaa Hamri is bringing a visually lush cinematic technique to the storytelling, and Stephanie has brought together a terrific cast."

Moroccan-born Sanaa Hamri has helmed videos for Prince ("Musicology," which was nominated for several MTV Video Music Awards), India.Arie ("The Truth" and "Little Things," for which she won an NAACP Image Award), Common featuring Mary J. Blige ("Come Close"), Heather Headley ("He Is"), Jadakiss ("Ask Why"), Sting, Destiny's Child, and Mariah Carey, among other artists.

Ms. Allain's slate of projects also includes the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winner Hustle & Flow, which she produced with John Singleton, to be released this summer. She also produced Biker Boyz. Previously, during her eight years as a Columbia Pictures creative executive, she launched the careers of such filmmakers as Mr. Singleton (on Boyz n the Hood) and Robert Rodriguez (on El Mariachi).

Upcoming Focus Features releases also include Pawel Pawlikowski's BAFTA Award winner My Summer of Love, starring Natalie Press, Emily Blunt, and Paddy Considine; the untitled film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, starring Bill Murray; Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley; Fernando Meirelles' The Constant Gardener, starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz; Harold Ramis' The Ice Harvest, starring John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, and Connie Nielsen; Rian Johnson's Brick, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lukas Haas (winner of a Special Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival); Gaby Dellal's On a Clear Day, starring Peter Mullan and Brenda Blethyn (which world-premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival); and Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Focus Features (www.focusfeatures.com) is a motion picture production, financing, and worldwide distribution company committed to bringing moviegoers the most original stories from the world's most innovative filmmakers.

The company's Rogue Pictures label is devoted to producing and distributing high-quality suspense, action, thriller, and urban entertainment with mainstream appeal and franchise potential.

Upcoming Rogue Pictures releases include Unleashed, written and produced by Luc Besson and directed by Louis Leterrier, starring Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, and Bob Hoskins; Jeff Wadlow's Cry Wolf, starring Julian Morris, Lindy Booth, and Jared Padalecki; and Asif Kapadia's Revolver, to star Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Focus Features is the specialty films unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates the No. 1 television network, the fastest-growing Spanish-language network, a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.