"Hurricane" Coming Back to NY Streets; Freeman Discusses Re-launch and His New Film

"Hurricane" Coming Back to NY Streets; Freeman Discusses Re-launch and His New Film

by Eugene Hernandez

How does that old saying go? Be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it? The thought comes to mind when considering the recent release of Morgan J. Freemanís debut film, "Hurricane Streets." Clearly the hottest film at Sundance last year, "Hurricane" captured three awards, including the DGA Directing award for Freeman. Shortly thereafter, MGM nabbed the domestic rights to the project with a plan to unveil the movie in theaters last fall. What could have been better? Now over a year later, Freeman and company are second-guessing some of those decisions and digging in for the filmís quickly organized return to New York City screens tonight.

MGM decided to scrap the limited fall release date, telling Freeman, and producer Gill Holland, that the film would instead be released wider in early '98. "Overall, their strategy was to go larger than they initially planned," Freeman told indieWIRE. The company decided to jump to 100 screens for the release, with advertising on television and radio for the debut. What seemed like a dream come true for Freeman, became a disappointment as the film, lacking the star power to support the wider release returned underwhelming grosses. While the film performed strongly in the more urban "exclusive" markets, it managed disappointing per screen numbers overall, so MGM quickly pulled the film. Looking back, Freeman ackowledges that a more limited release might have better suited the movie.

Now, in some respects seeking a sense of closure, Freeman convinced MGM to re-open the film in New York City where it performed well. On location in Nevada on the set of their new film, "Desert Blue," during the opening weekend, Freeman, Holland, and "Streets" star Brendan Sexton Jr. were unable to publicize the release or attend premiere screenings. Now, with the film set to re-open tonight in Chelsea and at midnight Angelika showings, the trio will be on hand to pass out fliers and to soak in the long-awaited theatrical premiere moment. It will be the first time that Freemanís sees the film with a paying crowd since its Park City debut in January of 1997.

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Despite representation by a William Morris agent and a Three Arts manager, Freeman told indieWIRE that he made calls personally to secure the NYC re-release. Freeman confirmed that MGM is supporting the release with a modest print campaign. While he admits that they cannot afford to spring for a New York Times ad, he ackowledged that there will be advertisements in weeklies, including the Village Voice and TimeOut New York. With the picture lock on "Desert Blue" just a few weeks away, Freeman is preparing to embark on another round of acquisitions action. Yet, following the "Hurricane" release and a few studio experiences under his belt, he is beginning the process with a more seasoned approach. Freeman would like to show the movie to distributors after Cannes, with an eye towards showcasing it at a higher profile fall festival like Toronto. "Blue", the story of an L.A. actress stranded in a small town after a chemical scare causes a quarantine, reunites much of the "Hurricane" production team, including Holland, producer Nadia Leonelli, D.P. Enrique Chediak, A.D. Jamin O'Brien, and editor Sabine Hoffman. The film was also produced by former Gregg Araki producer Andrea Sperling, with financing coming from the Hollywood Stock Exchange. Beyond "Hurricaneís" Sexton and Isidra Vega, the cast for "Blue" includes Christina Ricci, Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson and Ethan Suplee. When talking with potential distributors, Freeman admitted that he hopes to find "a place not only where the movie can find a home, but where I can find one too." Joking, he added that he is "interested in a long term relationship, not a one night stand." posted on April 17, 1998 |Share