FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RACHAEL LEIGH COOK IS ALL THAT IN 'HI-LINE' FOR CREATIVE LIGHT
Film sales and distribution company, Creative Light Worldwide is proud to announce today that it has acquired the worldwide rights to the THE HI-LINE starring Rachael Leigh Cook, star of Miramax's hit 1999 release SHE'S ALL THAT. The film also stars Ryan Alosio, Margot Kidder, Stuart Margolin and Tantoo Cardinal, star of SMOKE SIGNALS. THE HI-LINE is an impressive and compelling film that has been well received on the Festival circuit. It was an Official Selection at the Sundance Film Festival, Dramatic Competition, and played Raindance, Rio, Queensland, and was the Audience Award winner at the recent Austin Film Festival. The film tells the story of a young, Montana girl (Cook) who discovers she was adopted by her parents (Kidder and Margolin) and embarks on a quest to meet her true biological mother (Cardinal). Creative Light is so excited about the film's breakout potential that they will present THE HI-LINE theatrically in the U.S., having signed a North American limited theatrical distribution deal with Panorama Entertainment. The release is currently set for Spring 2000. Creative Light also plans on releasing the film to home video cassette and DVD on its own label sometime later in the Fall. The film was acquired from director Ron Judkins and producer Collin Phillips through their Milk River Company LLC, exec producers Barbara Boyle and Michael Taylor and producer's rep Peter Broderick of Next Wave Films.
Cook's last film, SHE'S ALL THAT, earned $63 million at the U.S. box office. That film remained in the top 10 for video rentals for four weeks and earned $26.9 million in rental revenue to date. In addition, SHE'S ALL THAT scored Internationally, residing for multiple weeks in the top 10 box office charts -- Countries included France, Germany, Australia, Brazil, The United Kingdom and Sweden. Creative Light's Chairman Scott Zakarin says, "We know Rachael's star is going to burn bright around the world and we are proud to have this beautiful film as her next theatrical release." Cook is currently working on several high profile projects, including the remake of GET CARTER with Sylvester Stallone, TEXAS RANGERS with James Van Der Beek, an adaptation of Jane Austen's NORTHANGER ABBY, and the MGM thriller ANTITRUST with Ryan Phillippe and Tim Robbins.
THE HI LINE was written and directed by Ron Judkins, a two time Academy Award winning production sound mixer for JURASSIC PARK and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. He was also nominated in the sound category for SCHINDLER'S LIST. This film marks a powerful and impressive directorial debut.
Executive producers of the film are Barbara Boyle, Michael Taylor and Martin Cohen. Boyle and Taylor's previous films together include last year's INSTINCT starring Anthony Hopkins, PHENOMENON starring John Travolta and the indie favorite, BOTTLE ROCKET. Cohen is a post production executive at Dreamworks.
Creative Light Worldwide is the distribution and sales company formed by Scott Zakarin, Rich Tackenberg, Peter Jaysen and Ted Chalmers in April of 1999. Since its inception the company has acquired 23 motion pictures and programs and is developing its first in-house production for a mid 2000 release. The company premiered its line-up at the recent October markets, which included MIPCOM, London and MIFED. Zakarin and Tackenberg were part of the team that created thespot.com, a ground-breaking web site that introduced originally produced content for the internet. Chalmers is a worldwide distribution and licensing executive with over ten years of experience. The company's mission includes the convergence of traditional and new media in the promotion and exhibition of its films and programs.
