Icon Productions

Gibson's Icon Signs Deal With Warner Bros., Paramount: The production company signed dual three-year agreements, promising to submit four pictures to each studio over that period. Icon is headed by Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey. The company produced last year's "Braveheart," which Gibson directed and starred in, as well as such films as "Hamlet," "The Man Without a Face," "Maverick" and "Immortal Beloved." Icon's next move was the subject of much speculation in Hollywood.

Actor-director Mel Gibson's company has a deal to develop a Holocaust miniseries for ABC, the network said. The miniseries will be adapted from Flory A. Van Beek's 1998 memoir, "Flory: Survival in the Valley of Death," recounting her family's experiences hiding from the Nazis in Holland. Writer Cynthia Saunders will adapt. ABC spokeswoman Annie Fort said no actors had been cast. Through his Icon Productions, Gibson directed "The Passion of the Christ," one of the top-grossing pictures of 2004.

Actor-director Mel Gibson's company has a deal to develop a Holocaust miniseries for ABC, the network said. The miniseries will be adapted from Flory A. Van Beek's 1998 memoir, "Flory: Survival in the Valley of Death," recounting her family's experiences hiding from the Nazis in Holland. Writer Cynthia Saunders will adapt. ABC spokeswoman Annie Fort said no actors had been cast. Through his Icon Productions, Gibson directed "The Passion of the Christ," one of the top-grossing pictures of 2004.

Regal Entertainment Group on Tuesday reached a settlement with Mel Gibson's Icon Productions Inc. over box-office receipts Icon alleged the giant theater chain owed it from showing Gibson's hit film "The Passion of the Christ." No terms were disclosed. According to a Securities and Exchange Commission document filed by Regal, the lawsuit settlement will reduce the company's previously reported net income for the fourth quarter by $8.3 million.

Regal Entertainment Group on Tuesday reached a settlement with Mel Gibson's Icon Productions Inc. over box-office receipts Icon alleged the giant theater chain owed it from showing Gibson's hit film "The Passion of the Christ." No terms were disclosed. According to a Securities and Exchange Commission document filed by Regal, the lawsuit settlement will reduce the company's previously reported net income for the fourth quarter by $8.3 million.

Nearly all big Hollywood stars have "vanity" production deals with the studios. The major movie companies pay celebrities sometimes millions of dollars a year to cover overhead and development costs to maintain production outfits on their back lots. The idea is that the actor will develop and produce projects that he or she may or may not star in. The truth is, hardly any of these deals ever amount to a hill of beans.

Last fall, as the controversy over his film "The Passion of the Christ" was heating up, Mel Gibson found time to visit the Burbank headquarters of ABC. The actor-director came to discuss "Savages," a proposed sitcom -- about a divorced firefighter raising five sons -- that Gibson and his partners were pitching. Like any good salesman, Gibson personalized his pitch, telling ABC executives that the script was partly based on his own household, where he and wife Robyn are raising seven kids.

Mel Gibson employed guerrilla tactics to market his controversial blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ" to the masses. Now he's turning to an equally unconventional campaign to capture an Academy Award. The director is bucking tradition with a vow not to spend a penny on television, radio or print advertising to help boost the film's chances of winning an Oscar nomination.

Determined to insulate his controversial "The Passion of Christ" and to personally control the movie's challenging marketing, director Mel Gibson has decided to distribute it through his company, Icon Entertainment, according to sources close to the film. The story of the last hours in Jesus Christ's life, "The Passion of Christ" will be released nationwide by Icon on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25.

Can America's favorite pastime sustain a weekly TV series? Baseball has tried before, in both comedy ("Ball Four") and drama ("Bay City Blues"), but hopes are high as executive producers Mel Gibson and Aaron Spelling give the notion another shot. A family saga as well as the story of a ballclub, the sweetly old-fashioned CBS drama "Clubhouse" gets an advance premiere Sunday, two nights before settling into its regular Tuesday slot.

Mel Gibson employed guerrilla tactics to market his controversial blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ" to the masses. Now he's turning to an equally unconventional campaign to capture an Academy Award. The director is bucking tradition with a vow not to spend a penny on television, radio or print advertising to help boost the film's chances of winning an Oscar nomination.

Can America's favorite pastime sustain a weekly TV series? Baseball has tried before, in both comedy ("Ball Four") and drama ("Bay City Blues"), but hopes are high as executive producers Mel Gibson and Aaron Spelling give the notion another shot. A family saga as well as the story of a ballclub, the sweetly old-fashioned CBS drama "Clubhouse" gets an advance premiere Sunday, two nights before settling into its regular Tuesday slot.

Last fall, as the controversy over his film "The Passion of the Christ" was heating up, Mel Gibson found time to visit the Burbank headquarters of ABC. The actor-director came to discuss "Savages," a proposed sitcom -- about a divorced firefighter raising five sons -- that Gibson and his partners were pitching. Like any good salesman, Gibson personalized his pitch, telling ABC executives that the script was partly based on his own household, where he and wife Robyn are raising seven kids.

Determined to insulate his controversial "The Passion of Christ" and to personally control the movie's challenging marketing, director Mel Gibson has decided to distribute it through his company, Icon Entertainment, according to sources close to the film. The story of the last hours in Jesus Christ's life, "The Passion of Christ" will be released nationwide by Icon on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25.

Gibson's Icon Signs Deal With Warner Bros., Paramount: The production company signed dual three-year agreements, promising to submit four pictures to each studio over that period. Icon is headed by Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey. The company produced last year's "Braveheart," which Gibson directed and starred in, as well as such films as "Hamlet," "The Man Without a Face," "Maverick" and "Immortal Beloved." Icon's next move was the subject of much speculation in Hollywood.

After four years of trying unsuccessfully to sell a screenplay the conventional way--shopping it around through his agent--Eriq LaSalle thought he would try a more unorthodox approach. LaSalle, a regular on the top-rated TV show "ER," took out a $140,000 loan, got some help from Steven Spielberg, NBC and Warner Bros. in securing equipment and filmed a 35-minute version of "Psalms From the Underground."

After four years of trying unsuccessfully to sell a screenplay the conventional way--shopping it around through his agent--Eriq LaSalle thought he would try a more unorthodox approach. LaSalle, a regular on the top-rated TV show "ER," took out a $140,000 loan, got some help from Steven Spielberg, NBC and Warner Bros. in securing equipment and filmed a 35-minute version of "Psalms From the Underground."

Despite being the year's biggest box-office blockbuster so far, "The Passion of the Christ" seems unlikely to find a home on the four biggest broadcast networks. Mel Gibson's Icon Productions has been shopping the movie to TV. Only ABC has confirmed turning it down, but executives speaking on condition of anonymity said it was doubtful for CBS, NBC and Fox too.

Nearly all big Hollywood stars have "vanity" production deals with the studios. The major movie companies pay celebrities sometimes millions of dollars a year to cover overhead and development costs to maintain production outfits on their back lots. The idea is that the actor will develop and produce projects that he or she may or may not star in. The truth is, hardly any of these deals ever amount to a hill of beans.