Chrysalis bows U.S. telepic
'Varian's War,' co-produced by Barwood, to hit Showtime
CANNES -- London-based Chrysalis Television Intl. has unveiled the first television project to be part of its distribution push into the U.S., via its new joint-venture production agreement with Michael Deakin and Adam Clapham's Gryphon Films.
Deakin and Clapham are prepping TV movie "Varian's War" for Showtime. The duo have been responsible for such titles as "Act of Betrayal," "Jeffrey Archer's Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less" and "Doomsday Gun."
The project is co-produced by Barbra Streisand's Barwood Prods. and is set for delivery in fall 1999.
In addition, Gryphon is currently co-developing a Hitchcock remake with Universal for ABC. Chrysalis sources would not give the title of the remake.
Chrysalis Visual Entertainment chief exec Michael Pilsworth says the Gryphon deal is a way to enter the U.S. market without taking an equity stake in a U.S. production company.
Chrysalis is looking to be able to rep around nine or 10 telefilms a year with budgets ranging from $2 million to $3 million.
Under the terms of the agreement with Gryphon, Chrysalis provides deficit financing, reckoned to be around $700,000 on a $3 million telefilm project -- most U.S. broadcasters are stumping up around $2.3 million -- in return for distribution rights.
Pilsworth said he aims to be able to offer an annual slate of television movies, "which seems to be what broadcasters want."
