Nov 1, 2005 7:28 am US/Central
'Prairie Home' Movie To Be Released Next Summer
Minneapolis (AP) ―
The movie based on "A Prairie Home Companion" will be released next summer by Picturehouse Films after being bought for North American distribution when it was screened for buyers in New York.
Picturehouse president Bob Berney said the film was hilarious and said that he saw potential for wide commercial success. "I was blown away. It was through the roof," he said in a telephone interview.
Berney has handled the theatrical release of such atypical hits as "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," "Whale Rider" and "The Passion of the Christ."
Picturehouse, a joint venture of New Line Cinema and HBO Films, acquired the comic backstage musical for about $3.75 million over the weekend. The screening was held Sunday.
The Altman film, based on Garrison Keillor's long-running radio program, was shot in St. Paul with a cast including Meryl Streep, Lindsay Lohan, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson, Lily Tomlin and Kevin Kline. The working title was "The Last Broadcast," but Berney, aiming to capitalize on the name recognition of the 31-year-old radio program, recommended that the title revert to "A Prairie Home Companion."
"At the screening, Garrison said that to broaden the film's appeal, they were thinking about changing the name to 'Savage Love,' so we may have an argument there," Berney said.
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