SANTA BARBARA, Calif., March 21, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Soleil Film, Inc. (Pink Sheets:SFLM) announced today that the Mr. Jeff Celentano, Writer/Director of its feature film, "Say it in Russian" will oversee and collaborate with Screenwriter Larry Gross ("Streets of Fire", "48 Hours") in a polish and rewrite. "Larry is one of the most respected and sought after screenwriters in Hollywood and most of his films have big studio distribution and have been released theatrically," said Celentano. "He is very interested in the story, which he likened to the classic film, 'Chinatown,' and feels that the film has the potential to be a huge hit if handled correctly," he added. The U.S. theatrical box office rose to a record $9.4 billion in 2004, according to Exhibitor Relations. "A theatrical release, even a limited one, has the effect of increasing the value of a film, and most theatrically released films earn more revenue in subsequent DVD and video distribution," according to Kenneth Eade, Soleil Film President. The rewrite is expected to take two weeks, and the company does not expect it to delay the filming schedule, which has been set for this summer.
Larry Gross has written for Hollywood legends such as Director Clint Eastwood ("True Crime") and Walter Hill. Gross' first commercial success, "48 Hours" grossed over $75 million at the box office in 1982 and its sequel "Another 48 Hours," topped $80 million in 1990. Gross was also the author of "Prozac Nation," starring Cristina Ricci, Jessica Lange and Anne Heche, and the critically acclaimed "China Box," starring Jeremy Irons and Gong Li. More recently he collaborated on "Alien vs. Predator," which grossed over $80 million in 2004. Seven of Gross' 11 films have had big studio distribution and been released theatrically in the United States. Gross' credits include artistic films as well. Warner Independent's "We Don't Live Here Anymore," starring Mark Rufallo, Laura Dern and Naomi Watts, won Gross the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.
"Say it in Russian" is Soleil Film's third feature film. The company's unique business model for financing films involves the issuance of company common stock. This gives investors a built-in exit strategy at the moment of their investment, and their risk is spread over the company's entire film library.
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