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After two years in existence, Focus Features has added a new film label, Rogue Pictures. The division will be devoted to producing and distributing high-quality suspense, action, thriller, and urban entertainment with mainstream appeal and franchise potential. Rogue Pictures will retain the key Focus Features tenet in that the projects will be material- and filmmaker-driven features that utilize casts of established and breakout talent. Rogue has acquired domestic rights to an untitled Luc Besson-produced actioner starring Jet Li; begins production next month on Jean-François Ríchet’s Assault on Precinct 13; and has begun production on Don Mancini’s Seed of Chucky for release this fall. Focus co-presidents David Linde and James Schamus announced Rogue’s formation today in Las Vegas, at the movie industry’s ShoWest convention.

The Rogue Pictures label will differ from the established Focus Features one in that Rogue titles will specifically target the more mainstream ticket buyer and receive wider releases. Focus executives and staff will manage the release of all Rogue Pictures and Focus Features projects. As part of the branding efforts for the new Rogue label, Focus will seek out appropriate strategic corporate alliances and internet marketing, and outreach to genre and niche media. Focus will hold worldwide rights to most Rogue releases.

Mr. Linde and Mr. Schamus said, “As we continue to diversify and grow our worldwide operations, we’re adding Rogue so that even more filmmakers and actors can come to us and make movies with us that are entertaining and have even more mainstream appeal and maximum opportunity through all media. Just as we have established a successful and viable brand domestically and internationally with Focus, we are making the same commitment with the creation of Rogue.”

Rogue has acquired domestic release rights to an untitled Luc Besson-produced action drama currently in post-production and slated for an early 2005 release. The untitled film, directed by Louis Leterrier, headlines international action superstar Jet Li as Danny, raised by a gangster (Bob Hoskins) to be a violent killing machine. When Danny has a chance encounter with a blind piano tuner (Morgan Freeman), he experiences true kindness and compassion for the first time – and breaks from the underworld to go live with the piano tuner and his family. But the mob will not give up its prize pupil so easily, and Danny must fight to protect his new family and leave behind his life of violence and crime. Written by Luc Besson with Robert Mark Kamen, the film is produced by Steve

Chasman for Europa Corp. (Luc Besson and Pierre-Ange le Pogam). Complementing the domestic release through Rogue, Universal Pictures is distributing the film in the U.K., Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa through its overseas distribution arm, United International Pictures.

Jet Li previously collaborated with Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen on Kiss of the Dragon, and his many other film credits include the Focus International blockbuster Hero. In addition to the films he directs (such as [La Femme] Nikita and Leon [a.k.a. The Professional]), Besson’s producing credits include the smash Taxi series of action comedies, as well as The Transporter (for which a sequel is planned).

“Jet Li, Luc Besson, and Pierre-Ange le Pogam have incredible track records of making the most exciting, groundbreaking, and thoroughly commercial action films around,” said Mr. Linde and Mr. Schamus. “We’re thrilled that the first Rogue acquisition allows us to work with them so closely. There are action scenes in this movie that are simply unparalleled."

Already in production as the first Rogue release is Seed of Chucky, fifth in the popular series of Chucky (Child’s Play) horror comedies. The film is written and directed by franchise creator Don Mancini and produced by doll creator and series producer David Kirschner and producing partner Corey Sienega, with Guy Louthan executive-producing. The film stars Jennifer Tilly, Redman, Hannah Spearritt, John Waters, and the voices of Billy Boyd and Brad Dourif (who encores as Chucky). Focus International is handling all overseas sales on the film. Following tradition for the franchise’s top titles, Seed of Chucky will get a wide U.S. fall release (on October 29th, Halloween weekend).

Assault on Precinct 13, the action thriller that updates the 1976 film of the same name, has finalized its ensemble with the addition of rap artist/actor Busta Rhymes to the previously cast Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, Maria Bello, John Leguizamo, Drea de Matteo, Gabriel Byrne, and Brian Dennehy. James DeMonaco has written the screenplay for the new film, which is being produced by Outlaw Pictures’ Jeffrey Silver, Why Not Productions’ Pascal Caucheteux, and Liaisons Films’ Stephane Sperry (based at Focus under a multi-year production deal). Focus International is selling the title overseas. Assault on Precinct 13 begins principal photography on April 5th and will be in theaters in 2005.

Among the Rogue projects in active development are the murder mystery The Horsemen, written by David Callaham and to be produced by Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes with Ted Field’s Radar Pictures; a new version of the ghost story The Changeling (previously filmed in 1979), adapted by Dave Kajanuk and to be produced by Joel Michaels and executive-produced by Amanda Klein and Glenn Williamson; and Revolver, a dramatic thriller written by Adam Sussman and to be produced by Ray Gun’s Aaron Ryder.

Focus Features is a motion picture production, financing, and worldwide distribution company committed to bringing moviegoers the most original stories from the world’s most innovative filmmakers.

Focus Features is the specialty films unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Vivendi Universal Entertainment, the U.S.-based film, television, and recreation entity of Vivendi Universal, a global media and communications company.