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DIALOGUE: BOB BERNEY
Picturehouse's first incarnation was short, but colorful: For three years, from 2005 until the economic crash, the production company that Bob Berney founded in partnership with HBO Films and New Line lived under the Warner Bros, roof and released films including "Pan's Labyrinth" and "A Prairie Home Companion." When Picturehouse shuttered in Warners' consolidation, Berney - a Texas theater owner-turneddistribution executive - tried to reignite his idea of creative, individualized distribution and marketing for films like Aramaic-language, English-subtitled megahit "The Passion of the Christ" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," which Berney and wife, Jeanne, nursed from eight screens to 500 over the course of several months, at places like Apparition and FilmDistrict
In January, he again secured the Picturehouse name for himself (he's CEO; Jeanne, is president), and is ready for the next stage of his, and the film industry's, evolution. Picturehouse is relaunching with "Metallica Through the Never," a fiction feature starring the four Metallica band members and Dane DeHaan, written and directed by "Predators" helmer Nimrod Antal. The pic is set for release Aug. 9.
Bemey sat down with Randee Dawn in his Bronxville, N.Y., office to talk about the Picturehouse brand, digital distribution and a possible foray into TV (thanks to an output deal with Netflix) and why adapting to new business models is critical to survival.
RANDEE...