Lloyd gets return Col
Sadoff to co-finance up to five films for her
Lloyd brings her Rogue Pictures label to the studio and is also near a deal for a partnership with Hal Sadoff, a principal in MM Media Capital Partners. The plan is for the financier to co-finance as many as five films she generates for Columbia Pictures.
Move marks a return to the Sony fold for Lloyd, who left the exec ranks after shepherding such films as "The Patriot" and "Vertical Limit."
Since ankling the studio, she has become a producer and manager with a slew of projects set around town. With Arnon Milchan and Larry Brezner, Lloyd produced the New Regency comedy "Freddy Got Fingered." Co-written, directed and starring Tom Green ("Road Trip"), pic opens April 20. She also produced an independently financed documentary about Ellen DeGeneres' return to standup comedy, which will appear on HBO.
'Cellular' debut for Devlin
With Centropolis and Walter Hamada, Lloyd is also producing "Cellular," the Larry Cohen-scripted drama that will mark Dean Devlin's directing debut at Sony. In addition, she has set up the Boyce Bugliari/Jamie McLaughlin-scripted musical "Sunny Day"; "Aces," a motorcycle pic to be directed by Todd Hallowell; as well as several other pitches.
At the same time, Lloyd will continue managing a client stable that includes Anne Heche, both for acting and screenwriting, and writers David Weinstein (the upcoming WB series "Dead Last") and Emily Cook, who wrote "Do-Si-Do," about to be peddled as a spec script. Cook also wrote "The Oakwood Apartments," an ABC movie that Lloyd is producing.
Lloyd said she was approached by Col production prexy Peter Schlessel and wanted to come home, particularly given the opportunity to do it with a co-financing relationship with MM Media Capital Partners, which recently expanded from financing to foreign sales when it hired former Lakeshore Intl. exec Peter Rogers.
"I know Peter and (Columbia Pictures chair) Amy Pascal and feel comfortable with those guys, and this arrangement allows me to come back to the studio and make movies with a chance to own a piece of each movie," Lloyd said. "I knew studios are looking for producers who come with financing, and this is a great way to have more control over your movies."
Lloyd has brought with her Caroline Rault as a creative exec, and she will quickly staff up by hiring talent and lit managers, as well as a senior production executive.
