Keaton and Fraser to Film The Last Time

Keaton and Fraser to Film The Last Time

LOS ANGELES, July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Sam Nazarian, CEO and Founder of Element Films, announced today that The Last Time is the newest addition to his company's slate. Michael Keaton (Live from Baghdad, White Noise) and Brendan Fraser (Crash, The Quiet American, Gods and Monsters) will star in the film for Michael Caleo, who will direct from his script. This is the sixth film under the Element Films banner.

Principal photography will commence in New Orleans and New York in August 2005 with Element principals Adam Rosenfelt and Stavros Merjos producing, in collaboration with Peter Samuelson and Jeff Balis. Sam Nazarian will Executive Produce.

The film is financed by LA Squared, the Louisiana-based film fund, which is a partnership between Element, the Louisiana Institute of Film and Technology and the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation.

Nominated for an Emmy for The Sopranos, Caleo will make his directorial debut. In addition to The Sopranos, Caleo wrote for Rescue Me, and has developed features with Jay Roach, Chris Rock, George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh.

Set in the cutthroat world of sales, The Last Time tells the story of Ted (Michael Keaton), a cynical salesman who rediscovers life when he falls in love with his new partner's fiance. Fraser will play his naive new partner who has recently moved from the Midwest to the Big Apple where he learns that life is tougher in the big city.

Keaton, who can currently be seen in Herbie Fully Loaded, is represented by UTA and Brillstein Grey. Ziffren, Brittenham, Branca and Fischer negotiated his deal.

Fraser is represented by William Morris and JoAnne Colonna at The Firm. George Davis of Nelson, Felker, Levine and Dern negotiated his deal.

ICM represents Caleo. Larry Kopeikin of Barnes, Morris, Klein, Mark & Yorn negotiated his deal.

UTA and ICM will handle domestic distribution rights.

About Element Films

Element Films is dedicated to financing and producing up to a dozen films annually within the $10-15 Million range, while also arranging strategic financing for studio films. Element is the largest partner in LA Squared, the Louisiana based Film Fund. The fund is a combination of private equity, public financing, bank debt and Louisiana State tax credits. The partners are Element's CEO Sam Nazarian, HSI Productions' Stavros Merjos, Element partner and President Adam Rosenfelt, and Malcolm Petal the founder of The Louisiana Institute of Technology. Louisiana's venture arm, the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation, is also involved in production equity fund.

Element recently premiered their film Down in the Valley, at Cannes in Un Certain Regard, and had the United States premiere at opening night of the LA Film Festival on June 16th. The film was directed by David Jacobson, starring Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse, Rory Culkin and Bruce Dern.

Waiting, directed by Ron McKittrick, with Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris, Justin Long and Luis Guzman will be distributed this fall by Lions Gate. Releasing from Regency in October is Freshman Year, directed by Ryan Shiraki, starring John Goodman, Heather Matarazzo and Rachel Dratch.

Element is currently in post-production on Five Fingers, starring Laurence Fishburne, Ryan Phillippe and Colm Meaney. Lion s Gate will distribute.

Source: Element Films

CONTACT: Elaine Driscoll of Element Films, +1-323-655-8000, or cell,
+1-323-383-7500, elained@sbeent.com

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Profile: intent