Icon and Newmarket to Release Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ'

Business Wire, Oct 23, 2003

Entertainment Editors/Business Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 23, 2003

Icon Productions and Newmarket Films jointly announced today that they have formed a partnership to release Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ in theatres nationwide on February 25th.

In The Passion of The Christ, Academy Award winning director and producer Mel Gibson graphically portrays the last twelve hours of Jesus Christ's life, as depicted in the New Testament. The film stars James Caviezel (The Count of Monte Cristo, Angel Eyes) as Jesus Christ, Monica Bellucci (The Matrix Reloaded, Tears of the Sun) as Mary Magdalene, and Romanian actress Maia Morgenstern as the Virgin Mary.

The partnership combines the expertise of Icon, a company formed by Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey, which has launched a grassroots, faith-based marketing effort with Newmarket Films, an independent marketing and distribution company known for its carefully crafted marketing campaigns and aggressive release strategies. Icon will distribute the film through their distribution arm Icon Film Distribution in both the UK and Australia/New Zealand.

"I have known and worked with Will Tyrer and Chris Ball over the years and they get where we are coming from," commented Bruce Davey. "They, and Bob Berney, are as passionate as we are about this film, and I know they will make a great contribution to the release of The Passion of The Christ."

The Co-Founders of Newmarket Capital Group have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Icon, having financed the company's critically acclaimed Hamlet and other projects.

William Tyrer, partner and co-founder of Newmarket Capital Group, the parent company of Newmarket Films added: "We are pleased to expand our relationship with Icon to a new platform with this theatrical release. We are uniquely qualified to carefully handle this artistic achievement and honored to have the opportunity to be involved with such an important film."

The deal was negotiated by Bruce Davey, Icon Productions and William Tyrer, Newmarket Films and Jeff Berg, ICM.

Icon Productions, Inc. is an independent motion picture production company, which was founded in August 1989. It has theatrical distribution arms in the UK and Australia/New Zealand (IFD), and internally funds all of its development and packaging costs, allowing it to retain creative control of projects through production. Films produced by Icon include the soon-to-be-released The Singing Detective, starring Robert Downey Jr., the critically acclaimed We Were Solders and the box-office sensation What Women Want, as well as the five-time Academy Award winning film Braveheart.

Newmarket Films, a New York-based theatrical distribution and marketing company, was launched in August of 2002. Currently in theatres is Niki Caro's magical Whale Rider, a breakthrough hit and Audience Award favorite (Toronto, Sundance, Rotterdam, Seattle and San Francisco) approaching the $21 million mark at the box office. Newmarket Films' upcoming slate includes Patty Jenkins' Monster, starring Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci, scheduled for an Oscar-qualifying run in December along with Anders Thomas Jensen's wicked Danish delight, The Green Butchers, and Bronwen Hughes' Stander starring Thomas Jane and based on the true story of "modern-day Robin Hood" Andre Stander, scheduled for release in 2004.

Newmarket Capital Group, founded in 1994 by William Tyrer and Chris Ball, specializes in production, co-production, video distribution and third party financing of feature films. The company recently produced or co-produced such box-office hits as Memento, Cruel Intentions, The Mexican and The Skulls. Under its film-financing banner, Newmarket has been involved with more than 75 features, including such well-known titles as The Importance of Being Earnest, Topsy Turvy, The Usual Suspects and Donnie Darko.