Moonstone turns on tube
Fairweather team to make telepix
Moonstone has pacted with Fairweather Entertainment's Jeff Franklin and Steve Waterman to make as many as 30 telepics, budgeted at $2 million-$3 million, over the next three years.
Under the agreement, Moonstone chief Etchie Stroh, Franklin and Waterman will form a new banner, Ventura-Moon, to produce and distribute the films.
In the U.S., Franklin and Waterman will distribute the pics straight into syndication. Stroh will handle the foreign sales and pre-sales, and may bring aboard international partners in due course. Some pics may go theatrical in certain foreign territories.
"This strategic alliance will allow us to expand Moonstone's producing schedule dramatically, with respect to both content and volume, and to enter the challenging market with varied, quality television product," Stroh said.
The pics will be financed by Moonstone and Fairweather through pre-sales, gap loans and some private equity.
Ready to go
According to Franklin, Ventura-Moon will hit the ground running with as many as 10 films in the first year. The pics will range in genre from action to thriller to family and be lensed in a variety of locations, including Santa Ventura Studios, where Franklin and Waterman are managing partners.
Stroh, Franklin and Waterman will exec produce the pics. Moonstone's Yael Stroh ("The Only Thrill") will produce.
"Each of the MOWs will (feature) a well-established TV or film star together with newer talent, thus appealing to a wider demographic," Franklin said.
He and Waterman have exec produced TV series such as "Malcolm & Eddie," "Head Over Heels" and "The Adventures of the Black Stallion."
They also exec produced the Kevin Sorbo vehicle "Kull the Conqueror" for Universal, and are exec producing Sony's upcoming event pic "Stuart Little."
Among the many pics that Stroh has produced or exec produced are "Thick as Thieves," which Rogue Pictures is handling in the U.S., and the Kevin Bacon starrer "Digging to China."
He is currently exec producing the new Mike Figgis film "Miss Julie," starring Peter Mullan and Saffron Burrows. Moonstone is handling worldwide distribution.
