Russian blockbuster "Day Watch" breezes into town today for its international premier at a special Berlinale presentation hosted by distributors Fox Searchlight Pictures.
The fantasy epic where the forces of light are pitched in an eternal battle with the forces of dark with the fate of humankind at stake blew away all Russian boxoffice records when it opened in Moscow just over a year ago and took nearly $35 million in domestic theatrical distribution.
Now producers First Channel and Fox Searchlight are hoping that the shorter international version of "Day Watch" -- known in Russian as "Dnevnoi Dozor" -- will repeat the success of the first movie in the franchise, "Night Watch" (Nochnoi Dozor) that did $16 million at domestic boxoffice in 2004 before going on to take another $16 million internationally.
"Night Watch" shone in German sales last year and the decision for a Berlinale launch for the sequel -- also directed by Timur Bekmambetov and produced by Konstantin Ernst and Anatoli Maksimov -- reflects that.
The fantasy epic where the forces of light are pitched in an eternal battle with the forces of dark with the fate of humankind at stake blew away all Russian boxoffice records when it opened in Moscow just over a year ago and took nearly $35 million in domestic theatrical distribution.
Now producers First Channel and Fox Searchlight are hoping that the shorter international version of "Day Watch" -- known in Russian as "Dnevnoi Dozor" -- will repeat the success of the first movie in the franchise, "Night Watch" (Nochnoi Dozor) that did $16 million at domestic boxoffice in 2004 before going on to take another $16 million internationally.
"Night Watch" shone in German sales last year and the decision for a Berlinale launch for the sequel -- also directed by Timur Bekmambetov and produced by Konstantin Ernst and Anatoli Maksimov -- reflects that.
- 2/15/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
LONDON -- The powerhouse producers behind Russia's distribution boom celebrated another record boxoffice and home entertainment sales year Monday night at the 10th annual industry Blockbuster Awards in Moscow, organized by trade weekly Russian Film Business Today.
Sci-fi thriller Day Watch -- which opened 2006 with a stylish Jan. 1 Moscow premiere -- easily broke the ribbon for top-grossing film in Russia and the CIS former Soviet territories with a record boxoffice gross of more than $34 million.
By comparison, last year's winner, Afghan War drama 9th Company, took $25.6 million.
Day Watch, directed by Kazakhstan-born Timur Bekhmambetov and a sequel to 2004's Night Watch, also earned its producers, First Channel head Konstantin Ernst and his deputy Anatoli Maksimov, the Blockbuster producers of the year accolade at the awards ceremony held at Moscow's Renaissance Hotel.
The film single-handedly accounted for a sizeable chunk of Russia, CIS and Ukraine total 2006 boxoffice of $455 million, with newly combined distribution company 20th Century Fox CIS/Gemini breaking the $100 million ceiling to gross $106.09 million overall last year, representing a 25.7% market share.
Sci-fi thriller Day Watch -- which opened 2006 with a stylish Jan. 1 Moscow premiere -- easily broke the ribbon for top-grossing film in Russia and the CIS former Soviet territories with a record boxoffice gross of more than $34 million.
By comparison, last year's winner, Afghan War drama 9th Company, took $25.6 million.
Day Watch, directed by Kazakhstan-born Timur Bekhmambetov and a sequel to 2004's Night Watch, also earned its producers, First Channel head Konstantin Ernst and his deputy Anatoli Maksimov, the Blockbuster producers of the year accolade at the awards ceremony held at Moscow's Renaissance Hotel.
The film single-handedly accounted for a sizeable chunk of Russia, CIS and Ukraine total 2006 boxoffice of $455 million, with newly combined distribution company 20th Century Fox CIS/Gemini breaking the $100 million ceiling to gross $106.09 million overall last year, representing a 25.7% market share.
- 1/30/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
LONDON -- The powerhouse producers behind Russia's distribution boom celebrated another record boxoffice and home entertainment sales year Monday night at the 10th annual industry Blockbuster Awards in Moscow, organized by trade weekly Russian Film Business Today.
Sci-fi thriller "Day Watch" -- which opened 2006 with a stylish Jan. 1 Moscow premiere -- easily broke the ribbon for top-grossing film in Russia and the CIS former Soviet territories with a record boxoffice gross of more than $34 million.
By comparison, last year's winner, Afghan War drama "9th Company", took $25.6 million.
"Day Watch", directed by Kazakhstan-born Timur Bekhmambetov and a sequel to 2004's "Night Watch", also earned its producers, First Channel head Konstantin Ernst and his deputy Anatoli Maksimov, the Blockbuster producers of the year accolade at the awards ceremony held at Moscow's Renaissance Hotel.
The film single-handedly accounted for a sizeable chunk of Russia, CIS and Ukraine total 2006 boxoffice of $455 million, with newly combined distribution company 20th Century Fox CIS/Gemini breaking the $100 million ceiling to gross $106.09 million overall last year, representing a 25.7% market share.
Sci-fi thriller "Day Watch" -- which opened 2006 with a stylish Jan. 1 Moscow premiere -- easily broke the ribbon for top-grossing film in Russia and the CIS former Soviet territories with a record boxoffice gross of more than $34 million.
By comparison, last year's winner, Afghan War drama "9th Company", took $25.6 million.
"Day Watch", directed by Kazakhstan-born Timur Bekhmambetov and a sequel to 2004's "Night Watch", also earned its producers, First Channel head Konstantin Ernst and his deputy Anatoli Maksimov, the Blockbuster producers of the year accolade at the awards ceremony held at Moscow's Renaissance Hotel.
The film single-handedly accounted for a sizeable chunk of Russia, CIS and Ukraine total 2006 boxoffice of $455 million, with newly combined distribution company 20th Century Fox CIS/Gemini breaking the $100 million ceiling to gross $106.09 million overall last year, representing a 25.7% market share.
- 1/29/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MOSCOW -- Russian fantasy action movie Nochnoj Dozor (Night Watchman) has broken local boxoffice records here, taking in more than $10 million in the first two weeks after release, its producers said Thursday. The good-battles-evil special effects-rich movie -- shot on a two-title budget of less than $4 million -- took in nearly five times as much as Russia's previous boxoffice record holder, last year's mafia thriller Antikiller 2: Anti-Terror, said Anatoli Maksimov, the film's producer and an executive at state TV operator First Channel.
- 7/23/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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