Tony Steinhardt (left) and Jim Caviezel.

‘Madison’ movie release on hold

Producers seeking new deal with another company

By Don Ward, Editor


MADISON, Ind. (January 2003) – Hydroplane racing fans in Madison, Ind., waited 21 years to see their hometown boat win the Madison Regatta. They may have to wait even longer to see the movie about it.
Race fans have been anxiously awaiting the premier of the movie, which was filmed on location in Madison during the summer and fall 1999. Just this past year, officials announced release dates of Aug. 23, then Oct. 25, then Jan. 31, 2003. But a report in film industry journals in November revealed financial problems at Premiere Marketing and Distribution Group, the California-based company that planned to distribute the film nationally to more than 2,000 theaters in an arrangement with Metro Goldwyn Mayer.
In fact, “Madison” was second on a long list of movies slated for release by the Premiere Group, starting with “Slap Her She’s French,” a teen comedy due for release in November. That movie did not come out, as planned.
New reports in the Film Journal and Box Office Magazine said the company had laid off half of its staff and postponed indefinitely any movie releases. The company had secured $120 million in financing from JPMorgan Chase and had arranged a lucrative deal with pay TV showings, the report said. Those plans did not materialize, and the company apparently lost its funding.
But a source close to the production team said in late December that three other distributors are considering picking up “Madison” for a national release “sometime in 2003.” The producers have selected one of the distributors and hope to move the project forward. “All studios interested in ‘Madison’ are saying it could be next year’s ‘Big Fat Greek Wedding,’ “ according to a production team member. The latter movie was the surprise independent film hit of 2002.
Founded less than two years ago by former New Line Cinema executive Mitchell Goldman, Premiere Marketing in February 2002 announced an ambitious plan to release 10 movie titles. Those films included such stars as Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver and Kim Basinger. For a set distribution fee, the company would distribute films on 2,000 U.S. screens, plus spend a minimum $16 million in marketing. The benefit for financiers is that they could keep the film copyrights. The distributor made money by avoiding the cost of overhead and production.
“Producers can retain ownership of their films, which is something they’d never get at a studio,” Goldman told Variety magazine at the time. “We have a deal with Sony for video and DVD and with Showtime for cable, and the combination makes our fees competitive to studios.’’
Meanwhile, actor Jim Caviezel’s star is getting brighter. He is playing Jesus in Mel Gibson’s new movie, and he is reportedly being considered for the lead role in the upcoming movie ‘Superman.”
Caviezel played the late Jim McCormick in “Madison.” McCormick piloted the Miss Madison to victory in the 1971 Gold Cup race in Madison, Ind.

“Madison” Movie Credits
Made in USA, 2001
Release Date: Jan. 31, 2003
Distributors: MGM and Premiere Marketing & Distribution Group
Runtime: 94 min.
Executive Producers: Carl Amari, Chris Dennis, Steve Salutric, Roy Millonzi
Producers: Martin Wiley, William Bindley
Co-Producer: Lisa Lloyd
Screenwriters: William Bindley, Scott Bindley
Director: William Bindley (Credits: “The Eighteenth Angel,” “Judicial Consent”)
Principal Cast: Jim Caviezel (Jim McCormick), Jake Lloyd (Mike McCormick), Mary McCormack (Bonnie McCormick), Bruce Dern (Harry Volpi), Paul Dooley (Mayor Don Vaughn), Brent Briscoe (Tony Steinhardt).
Additional Cast: Frank Knapp (Bobby Humphrey), Kristina Anapau (Tami), James Andelin (Merle), Reed Diamond (Skip), Mark Fauser (Travis), Richard Lee Jackson (Buddy), Matthew Letscher (Owen Henderson), Cody McMains (Bobby Epperson), William Shockley (Rick Winston), Vincent Ventresca (Walker Grief), John M. Watson Sr. (Walter).
Storyline: A somewhat fictionalized account of a true story about an Unlimited hydroplane driver’s surprise victory in the 1971 Gold Cup at Madison, Ind.
Official website: http://www.madisonthemovie.com

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