Anchor Bay distributes

Anchor Bay takes U.S. rights to 'Irishman'
Cleveland gangster pic will open in 2011
By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

Christopher Walken and Ray Stevenson star in helmer Jonathan Hensleigh's pic about real-life Cleveland gangster Danny Greene, which will get a U.S. release.

Anchor Bay Films has acquired all North American and English-speaking territory rights to Code Entertainment's crime-actioner "The Irishman," about real-life Cleveland gangster Danny Greene.
Jonathan Hensleigh ("The Punisher") directs, while Ray Stevenson ("The Book of Eli," "Rome") stars in the title role. Also starring are Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Paul Sorvino and Linda Cardellini.

Anchor Bay, a division of Starz Media, is planning to release the film in North America, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand in early 2011.

"The Irishman" chronicles the rise and fall of Greene, who muscled in on the Italian mob in 1970s Cleveland and set off a turf war that ravaged the streets of Cleveland and led to the collapse of the Mafia in a number of U.S. cities, including Kansas City and Los Angeles.

Walken plays infamous loan-shark Shondor Birns, while Kilmer plays the police detective who befriends Greene.

" 'The Irishman' is an iconic true story of identity, power, and one man's version of the American dream," Code's Al Corley said. "The life of Danny Greene has captured peoples' imaginations for decades. Anchor Bay's enthusiasm and insightful marketing plan convinced us that they were the perfect choice to distribute the movie."

Hensleigh and Jeremy Walters penned the adapted script, based on Rick Porrello's tome "To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia."

Producers are Code's Corley, Bart Rosenblatt and Eugene Musso and Dundee Entertainment's Tommy Reid, who brought the property to Code.

Jonathan Dana, Tara Reid, Peter Miller, Rick Porrello and Arthur Sarkissian are exec producers.

Deal was negotiated by Kevin Kasha, Josh Thomashow and Richard Turner for Anchor Bay Films; Dana, Corley and Rosenblatt negotiated for Code, with ICM, which reps the director and some of the talent. Mark Halloran is distribution counsel.

Lightning Entertainment is handling international sales at Cannes.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118019342.html?categoryid=1238&c s=1
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