STEVEN SODERBERGH MOVES FROM CHE TO LIBERACE; FLOWER FILMS ACQUIRES ROMCOM

By Sarah Sluis

Steven Soderbergh has double news today. First off, his biopic Che, which showed at Toronto as well as Cannes, has been picked up by IFC Films. The choice of IFC was a bit of surprise, as the filmmakers had actively pursuing deals with other studios. In the end, IFC's "enthusiasm" won out, which may or may not be a euphemism for "Oscar marketing dollars." IFC plans on releasing the film for a week in NY/LA to qualify it for the Oscars, and then re-releasing the film in January on video-on-demand as well as a theatrical release. Che will become of the most expensive films to pursue such a strategy, but Soderbergh has been open to experimental release strategies, pioneering simultaneous video/theatre releases with Bubble back in 2005. For a film like Che, which consists of two, 120-minute film, the length and form links it a mini-series, making it a natural fit for television and on demand and its pause-for-popcorn and bathroom break button.

After profiling a Marxist South American revolutionary executed by his enemies, the logical next step for Soderbergh is Liberace, the flamboyant and theatrical piano player who had millions of women fooled until he died of AIDS and his lover sued to inherit his money. Overwrought glissandos aside, Soderbergh actually has some meaty work on his hands. As a director who likes to weigh in on social and political issues in his biopics (second example: Erin Brockovich) I imagine that AIDS and Liberace's closeted identity will figure prominently into the script.

Drew Barrymore's production company, Flower Films, picked up the book How to Be Single. They're currently producing another title by the same author, Liz Tuccillo, He's Just Not That Into You, which has a scheduled release date of February 9, 2009 (right before Valentine's Day, hmm). One thing I find curious about Flower Films is its choice of content�middle-budget romantic comedies, and other films where Barrymore steps down and takes a supporting role. Star-led production companies usually are formed to find Oscar-worthy roles for their founders, but perhaps compensation is a bigger concern for Barrymore. This route certainly would allow Barrymore to make a larger profit on the films she produces. On a related note, Domino did a feature on Flower Films' production offices back in April, and they have the most gorgeous, best-place-to-produce-romantic-comedies workplace imaginable, which you can look at here.