Denise Richards-Dolph Lundgren Thriller ‘Altitude’ Sees Strong Sales

Aerial action thriller “Altitude,” starring Denise Richards, Dolph Lundgren and Chuck Liddell, has wrapped production after selling half a dozen key international territories, Variety has learned exclusively. Taylor & Dodge, which launched sales at the Berlin Film Festival, has sold “Altitude” to Abbey Road Films for Eastern Europe, Another World Entertainment for Scandinavia, Central Park Films for Turkey, Gaga Corporation for Japan, Inopia Films for Spain, Notorious Pictures for Italy and Phoenicia Pictures International for the Middle East. Hollywood Media Bridge is handling the domestic rights. Greer Grammer (“Awkward”) also stars in the airborne thriller about a team of thieves who hijack an airliner in search of diamonds stolen from them by a former cohort. Richards plays an FBI agent who forms an uncomfortable alliance with the hijackers’ target, a thief, to save the passengers before it’s too late.

Jinga sells 'Hellions' to three territories

The Halloween horror film has sold in France, Benelux and the Middle East. UK genre specialist Jinga Films has sold Bruce McDonald’s Hellions to three territories: France’s Pretty Pictures, Benelux’s Remain In Light and the Middle East’s Phoenicia Pictures. The Halloween-themed horror, starring Chloe Rose and Robert Patrick, premiered at Sundance in January and will screen in TIFF’s Vanguard Section this month. IFC have a US theatrical release scheduled for September 18, while Studiocanal will handle the release in the UK at the end of October.

Cargo holds talks on The Price

Exclusive: Noomi Rapace will play the desperate mother of a kidnapped child in The Price, which worldwide rights holder Cargo Entertainment is selling at Afm. Buyers have responded strongly to the package about a woman who learns she can only recover her kidnapped son if she provides a blonde girl of the same age in exchange. Writer-director Siofra Campbell and the producers are ramping up for a February Berlin shoot. Peggy Cafferty and Patrick Campbell serve as producers alongside Germany’sSven Woldt. Cargo president Mark Lindsay and his team have closed early deals on The Price in Spain (Corbi Media), Indonesia (Pt Prima Cinema Multimedia), the Philippines (Pioneer Films), Vietnam (Galaxy Studio) and the Middle East (Phoenicia Pictures International).

VMI strikes sales on War Pigs

Los Angeles-based VMI Worldwide has closed key territories at AFM on War Pigs starring Luke Goss, Dolph Lundgren and Mickey Rourke, which has begun production in Utah. Deals have closed in Japan (Klockworx), the UK (Signature), Australia (Rialto Pictures), the Middle East (Phoenicia Pictures), Thailand (IPA), Greece (Hollywood Entertainment), France (Program Store) and Eastern Europe excluding Russia (Blitz). Cinedigm holds North American rights for War Pigs and plans a spring 2015 theatrical release. Chuck Liddell and Noah Segan also star in the tale of a band of WWII misfits on a mission to capture a German super weapon. Ryan Little directs. VMI Worldwide president Andre Relis is producing with Steven Luke, who wrote the screenplay.

Lionsgate UK, Ascot Elite, Phoenicia, Netflix Take ‘Rodencia’ 

Bisbano and co-produced by Alvaro Urtizberea at Buenos Aires’ Vista Sur Films (“The Holy Girl,” “Puzzle”), “Rodencia” is the first toon feature from Peru’s Red Post Animation Studio. The family-orientated adventure-fantasy turns on a clod-footed mouse-come-sorcerer’s apprentice who sets off to find a magical princess’ tooth and defeat a horde of invading rats. Peru’s first 3D toon feature – and part of Latin America’s growing animation scene – “Rodencia” was released by UPI in Peru, grossing about $1 million, said FilmSharks’ Guido Rud. Sony Pictures Australia will open “Rodencia” in collaboration with SC Movies. FilmSharks has also closed Brazil (H20), Argentina (Distribution Company), South Korea (Cinema Republic), CIS (Top Film), Spain (Flins y Peliculas), Middle East (Phoenicia), Iran (Visual Media Institute), ex-Yugoslavia (Tuck Vision), Thailand (Monnasich Jiant Pics), Venezuela (Amazonia Films), Ecuador (Multicines) and Portugal (Costa do Castelo), among territories. ’Rodencia’ was so well received by top buyers because the quality of storyline and script are outstanding, then it has good animation and 3D,” said FilmSharks’ Guido Rud.

Wesley Snipes in Gallowwalkers

Action-sci-fi-horror movie GALLOWWALKERS, starring Wesley Snipes (BLADE Trilogy) produced by Boundless Pictures’ Courtney Lauren Penn and Brandon Burrows and executive produced by Jack Bowyer has been sold by VMI Worldwide to Eagle Entertainment for Australia, Signature Entertainment for UK, Ascot Elite for Germany, NonStop Entertainment For Scandinavia, SNapSoul for South Korea, Global Media Holdings for Brazil, Krea Icerik Hizmetleri for Turkey, Vapet Production for Czech Republic, Star Films for Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. The movie got a US Summer’13 release by Wrekin’ Hill and was sold to Presidio for Japan and Phoenicia for the Middle East at EFM’13. GALLOWWALKERS, starring Wesley Snipes, is directed and written by Andrew Goth and Joanne Reay, produced by Courtney Lauren Penn (DARK HEARTS), and Brandon Burrows (DARK HEARTS) of Boundless Pictures and executive produced by Jack Bowyer (DARK HEARTS).

Over 130 films traded at the 2009 Dubai Film Market Acquisition

Ameer Fawaz, CEO of Phoenicia Pictures International, finalized the acquisition of nine titles from Shoreline Entertainment. After the festival, the parties finalized the acquisition of an added eight bringing the total acquisition volume to 17 films for the Middle Eastern territory. The titles included, Corrado, High Life and Master Harold and the Boys. MENA Television acquired 31 films from Phoenicia Pictures including classic titles like Free Money with Marlon Brando, Donald Sutherland and Charlie Sheen. France Television Distribution sold several package deals to Arab Free to Air stations. City of Art (Morocco) acquired several animation series, while Al Majd TV (KSA) and Bharain TV finalized the acquisition of Documentary packages. Mario Haddad, CEO of Empire International, exclusive distributor of Twentieth Century Fox and Columbia Tristar (SONY) in the Middle East, said: “DIFF would not be the same without the Dubai Film Market, for it is the only prominent market in the region, and allows us to explore content we were never able to know about.”