Berney & Pohlad Unveil Apparition, Align with Sony

Bob Berney and Bill Pohlad. Image provided by Apparition.

In a long awaited unveiling, former Picturehouse chief Bob Berney and producer Bill Pohlad, from River Road, have formally announced their new film distribution company. The outfit, named Apparition, has an initial slate that includes “The Tree of Life,” written and directed by Terrence Malick, starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn as well as Jane Camption’s Cannes competition film, “Bright Star.” Apparition also announced today a partnership with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisition Group (SPWAG) for all domestic ancillary rights to their films.

Written and directed by Oscar nominee Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life” is described by Apparition as “a mystical epic” that includes Pitt, Penn, and newcomer Jessica Chastain. The film tells the story of a family who must come to terms with a devastating loss. In doing so, they discover life’s most important lessons of unselfish love and forgiveness. The film is co-produced by Pohlad, Sarah Green, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, and Grant Hill. While no theatrical release date has been announced, the film will be released later this year.

As previously announced, Oscar-winner Campion’s “Bright Star,” about the three-year romance between 19th century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, will open September 18th.

“Bill and I are creating a company where the art of filmmaking is truly a priority,” commented Berney in a statement. “The birth of a new company that works in concert with artists while employing creative marketing strategies is a winning combination and is the essence of Apparition.”

Continuing, Berney added, “Working with filmmakers like Terrence Malick and Jane Campion right out of the gate is a great indication of the kinds of relationships that we hope this company will be built on. And our relationship with Sony is the same.  They are a bold company with tremendous assets and reach. But they also share our belief in championing extraordinary product.”

“The goal here was to create a company that can be a real home for filmmakers. A company that has a sensitivity and passion for the work as well as an ability to bring it to the marketplace with ingenuity and creativity.” added Pohlad. “Bob already has a reputation for having those qualities, and it was his involvement that really made this happen.”

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A fixture in the international film biz for over two decades, Bob Berney has founded and operated high preimenent companies that have released high profile work via his leadership roles at Picturehouse, Newmarket Films and IFC Films. Titles he has shepherded include “La Vie en Rose,” by Olivier Dahan, “Pan’s Labyrinth” by Guillermo del Toro, “A Prairie Home Companion” by Robert Altman, “Mongol” by Sergei Bodrov, “The Passion of the Christ” by Mel Gibson, “Monster” by Patty Jenkins, “Whale Rider” by Niki Caro, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” by Joel Zwick, “Y Tu Mama Tambien” by Alfonso Cuaron and “Memento” by Christopher Nolan. Through Pohlad’s production company, River Road Entertainment, his producer credits include Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain,” Altman’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” and Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild.” He also produced the recent documentary “Food, Inc.,” currently in release in addition to Doug Liman’s “Fair Game,” starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts which has recently completed principal photography. He is currently in production with “The Runaways,” starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. —the complete press release is available on page two—   (1 of 2)  Next Page › Login to recommend this article » posted on August 6, 2009 |Share Login to Leave a Comment »