Focus Features acquires 'Hamlet 2' Deal follows all-night bidding war

[BENDIS!]

Focus Features acquires 'Hamlet 2'
Deal follows all-night bidding war
By ANNE THOMPSON
Posted: Tue., Jan. 22, 2008, 11:10am PT• MORE

Focus Features has purchased the Steve Coogan comedy "Hamlet 2," paying $10 million for worldwide rights. A late addition to the Sundance Film Festival lineup, "Hamlet 2" premiered at the Library at 5:30 pm Monday.

The deal followed an all-night bidding war at CAA's condo, with Summit Entertainment, Weinstein Co., Lionsgate and Warner Independent Pictures as contenders. Micah Green and Ben Cramer at CAA closed the deal with Focus in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

Coogan stars as a high-school drama teacher who writes a sequel to the Shakespeare play in order to save his drama department. The film also stars Catherine Keener, Amy Poehler and David Arquette.

An update was made to this article at 3:22 p.m.

[Ryan F]

Spoiler:

But everyone died at the end of Hamlet 1...

[LordKinbote]

Spoiler:

But everyone died at the end of Hamlet 1...

That's the joke.

Or rather, one of them.

[the last ronin]

Someone paid for a David Arquette film?

[costello]

I love Catherine Keener.

[changingshades]

Focus Features acquires 'Hamlet 2'
Deal follows all-night bidding war
By ANNE THOMPSON
Posted: Tue., Jan. 22, 2008, 11:10am PT• MORE

Focus Features has purchased the Steve Coogan comedy "Hamlet 2," paying $10 million for worldwide rights. A late addition to the Sundance Film Festival lineup, "Hamlet 2" premiered at the Library at 5:30 pm Monday.

The deal followed an all-night bidding war at CAA's condo, with Summit Entertainment, Weinstein Co., Lionsgate and Warner Independent Pictures as contenders. Micah Green and Ben Cramer at CAA closed the deal with Focus in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

Coogan stars as a high-school drama teacher who writes a sequel to the Shakespeare play in order to save his drama department. The film also stars Catherine Keener, Amy Poehler and David Arquette.

An update was made to this article at 3:22 p.m.

sold

[Skatonic10]

Spoiler:

But everyone died at the end of Hamlet 1...

Clearly someone wasn't paying attention in 12th grade English. You have to learn to "read between the lines", so to speak.

[Ryan F]

Clearly someone wasn't paying attention in 12th grade English. You have to learn to "read between the lines", so to speak.

I was doing a thing...with the playing of the dumb and the stating of the obvious... Clearly it didn't work. Never mind.

[Scotty]

awesome

[Adrian B AWESOME]

That's a great premise.