ZDF reels in 3 film packages

German pubcaster lays out $131 million in deal

By VARIETY STAFF

BERLIN -- German pubcaster ZDF is buying three major film packages for a total of DM234 million ($131 million), programming director Oswald Ring announced Tuesday. The deals will supply the pubcaster with pics through the year 2006.

ZDF has agreed to purchase the rights to 276 feature films, 51 children's movies and 113 children's series episodes.

"Absolute Power" and Claude Chabrol's "Rien ne va plus" are among the titles ZDF is acquiring from TeleMuenchen. Leo Kirch's Taurus Film is putting together a package of children's programming and 124 feature films, including classics "Chinatown" and "Rebel Without a Cause." The pubcaster also is buying 110 adventure, animated and nature films from Centerpoint.

-- Miriam Hils