UGC Int'l picks up first US pic
In a move which confirms its major player status on the international sales field, UGC International has acquired its first American picture, The Cradle Will Rock. Written and directed by Tim Robbins, the film was picked up from Buena Vista for rights outside US, UK and Canada just two days before the sales house makes its first appearance at Cannes since reforming as the international sales arm of French major UGC.
Currently underway in New York, the film boasts a pedigree ensemble cast including Susan Sarandon, Joan and John Cusack, John Turturro, Emily Watson and Vanessa Redgrave. The $35 million drama is based on a true story set in the 1930s with such characters as Nelson Rockefeller and Orson Welles represented. Patrick Binet, topper at UGC International, calls it a "tapestry of the times", and says he is "very proud to have this film, which we are passionate about. I battled to get this since September and succeeded at convincing Tim Robbins and Buena Vista... Hopefully it's just the beginning." Nancy Tartaglione

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