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Investment for "Neverland Pictures" through MDP Worldwide Entertainment Inc.
Date confirmed in Billboard (“Sunday night [February 24, 2002]”)
Michael Jackson, Official Press Statement, PRNewswire (archived)
Both Raju and I love the way classic stories can be reinvented for the screen. My favorite movies such as Raju's 'Jungle Book' and 'Pinocchio' were re-imagined as major features, and were produced outside the traditional studio system. Films have always been a passion for me as a fan and as an artist and there is nothing in the world like the magic captured forever in a time capsule like motion picture images. Raju and I are very excited to be joining together with MDP Worldwide and producer, Mark Damon, who has a very successful track record as an independent producer and distributor.
Gold Magazine Interview (November 2002)
Gold Girl, Magdalena (GG): "Have you always wanted to do film? If your family had not been such successful musicians, would you have turned to it earlier in your life?"
Michael Jackson (MJ): I've always wanted to do film, but the tours got in the way. That's why I want to take several years off just doing film. I'd like to get six great movies behind me, and then I'll do a little bit of touring, then I'll do more filming.
GG: "What kind of ideas do you have for film?"
MJ: I have ideas for film and movement and dance and things that people have never seen. I can't wait to just surprise people. That's why I've been dying to start a film production company, and I'm very excited that that's what we're doing with Neverland Pictures. I get to just have a clean slate and play and create and sculpt.
GG: "Tell me a little bit about the werewolf idea in your films, and how does it relate to video?"
MJ: I haven't read the script yet for Wolfed - it's one of the movies that we're going to be making and I'm really excited about it. I'm so happy to be working with Sammy Lee {the co-writer of Music Box, who recently acquired 'first look' rights to Jackson's films}. We're doing some great projects together in film, and I'm really excited.
GG: "And Wolfed will be the first film?"
MJ: As of now, our schedule says that Wolfed will be the first film. That's going to be fun. I want it to be really scary. Rick Baker wants to do all the visual effects. He has seven Academy awards. Rick is very excited about it too - he did American Werewolf in London. He won an Oscar, and he said, 'Michael, that was nothing.' That's nothing compared to what he can do today. And he did Thriller and he said of that, 'It's nothing'. He can go way beyond that. He did all the Eddie Murphy films, Clumps and Nutty Professor and all that Men In Black stuff too. He does all that.
Michael Jackson's Neverland Entertainment has invested $15 million-$20 million in Mark Damon's production and distribution company MDP Worldwide, making Jackson and his new producing partner Raju Patel major shareholders in the company. As part of the deal, MDP will operate a new division, Neverland Pictures, headed by Jackson and Patel along with key executive Lawrence Mortorff. The company plans to produce a range of projects with a focus on family films and reimaginations of classics, some of which might be directed by and/or star Jackson.
The venture was announced Sunday night during a private dinner reception at Damon's hillside Benedict Canyon home, attended by 250 guests. Making a rare appearance, Jackson showed up along with longtime friend Elizabeth Taylor and "Rush Hour" director Brett Ratner to tout the deal.
Until his arrival, it was not clear whether Jackson would show up at the event, but suddenly he appeared from a nearby dining room and entered the dinner tent to a standing ovation, arm in arm with Taylor. After making it to their throne like chairs onstage, Jackson took to the microphone and explained his decision to invest in MDP and enter the indie film business.
"I dream great dreams," Jackson said. "Everything I've achieved started with a dream, and of all the dreams, this is the one I am most passionate about. The painter paints, the sculptor sculpts, but they just capture a glimpse of life -- of the subject. And film, this medium, you live with the protagonist, you suffer with the protagonist, you laugh with the protagonist, you despair with the protagonist. It's the most artistic, influential medium of all. I am very proud of what we're doing, and I promise you wonderful and fantastical things to come."
After his onstage appearance, the notoriously shy King of Pop elaborated in an interview about his plans for Neverland Pictures. He said he will be involved in all aspects of the company, such as reading scripts, plucking talent and directing. "I have a lot to express in film," Jackson said, revealing that his favorite movie is "To Kill a Mockingbird." "I'll be doing the whole thing, behind and in front [of the camera]. I love it."
Another movie Jackson is fond of is 1994's "The Jungle Book," which Patel produced and Damon executive produced, marking the duo's first collaboration. After seeing the movie, Jackson called Patel, who also produced "The Adventures of Pinocchio" and "The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo," to compliment him on his work, and the two became friends.
That brought Jackson and Patel to Damon's MDP. Patel said he and Jackson chose to invest in MDP and launch Neverland under their banner to gain creative freedom outside the studio system. "Michael wants control, and that's hard to get at a studio level," he said. "He wants to be able to go straight from an idea into the marketing."
Neverland already has a slate of projects, with three of them expected to be announced shortly. Whether any of those include Jackson-directed projects is unclear, but if he's not willing to hop behind the camera so soon, his close friend Taylor is.
"I wanted to direct for quite a while," Taylor said in an interview. "I've observed and picked up so much from other directors and other actors and learned just by osmosis. I'd like to take the knowledge I've learned from them and have a go at it."
Jackson has had several previous forays into film production, more notable for their ambitious announcements than their actual output: in 1991, he signed a nonexclusive first-look deal with Columbia Pictures through his Nation Films banner. In 1993, he announced a second feature film company, Michael Jackson Productions Inc., promising to deliver movies with positive and uplifting themes.
Official Press Statement, PRNewswire
MONTREAL and BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Feb. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ Neverland Entertainment, headed by entertainment legend Michael Jackson and film producer Raju Sharad Patel, have announced the signing of an agreement in principal with Mark Damon's MDP Worldwide Entertainment Inc. to enter into an investment and partnership for all of MDP's film production.
The agreement provides for a capital infusion of approximately USD$15 to USD$20 million in MDP by Neverland which will make them a major shareholder.
The closing of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory and other approvals. With the investment by Neverland Entertainment, MDP will operate a new division called Neverland Pictures, which will be the production arm of MDP, and all feature films produced will carry the Neverland Pictures banner.
Mark Damon, Chairman and CEO stated "with this affiliation, MDP is at the forefront of the independent film industry to significantly increase production and distribution of mainstream, commercial feature films for the global audience."
Michael Jackson stated: "Both Raju and I love the way classic stories can be reinvented for the screen. My favorite movies such as Raju's 'Jungle Book' and 'Pinocchio' were re-imagined as major features, and were produced outside the traditional studio system. Films have always been a passion for me as a fan and as an artist and there is nothing in the world like the magic captured forever in a time capsule like motion picture images. Raju and I are very excited to be joining together with MDP Worldwide and producer, Mark Damon, who has a very successful track record as an independent producer and distributor."
Raju Sharad Patel added: "Michael Jackson and I have been friends for years, and every time we would meet, Michael would express his interest and desire to form an independent film company. Now we have been able together to create Neverland Pictures to make Michael's long cherished dream come to fruition. That dream cannot come true without proper domestic and international distribution affiliations, which this agreement brings."
Mark Damon said: "When my friend Raju Patel brought me together with Michael, I discovered instant rapport with not only one of the greatest creative talents in entertainment history, but also a very savvy entrepreneurial businessman. This partnership will significantly expand MDP's production and financing capabilities as well as bring Michael's creative vision as a filmmaker -- demonstrated in so many pioneering video productions such as Thriller -- to film audiences around the world and we are thrilled to be working with him."
MDP Worldwide is a leading film entertainment company engaged in the financing, development, production and worldwide distribution of feature films in all media and whose shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Raju Sharad Patel has developed, financed and produced several critical and worldwide box office successes, which includes Rudyard Kipling's "Jungle Book" which was distributed by Walt Disney, the 20th Century Fox cult comedy classic "Bachelor Party" starring the Academy Award winner Tom Hanks, and "The Adventures of Pinocchio" for New Line / Warner.
Mark Damon has been a leader in the independent film industry for over 25 years. He is one of the original founders of the American Film Market and has produced and distributed over 300 feature films in his distinguished career, including such films as "Das Boot," "9 1/2 Weeks," "The Neverending Story," "Short Circuit," "Never Say Never Again," "Prizzi's Honor," "Cotton Club" and the recently released "The Musketeer."
MDP has been rapidly expanding its production and distribution slate and has most recently acquired international rights to the poignant drama "The United States of Leland" which will be directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge and produced by Kevin Spacey and Bernie Morris for Trigger Street Productions.
The film commenced production in Los Angeles on February 4, 2002 and features Ryan Gosling, Don Cheadle, Chris Klein, Lena Olin, Michelle Williams, Jena Malone and Kevin Spacey. MDP most recently distributed the action adventure film "The Musketeer," directed by Peter Hyams, this past September that debuted #1 at the North American box office for Universal Pictures. MDP is also currently handling worldwide distribution for the extreme sports action film "The Extremists," directed by Christian Duguay, which will be released later this year in the United States through Paramount Pictures and the cyberhorror thriller "Fear.com" directed by William Malone, which will be released in the U.S. through Warner Bros. Both feature films are in the final stages of completion.
The transaction was negotiated on Neverland's behalf by producer Lawrence Mortorff, entertainment attorney Bruce Vann of Kelly, Lytton & Vann, and for MDP by Michael Eliasberg of Kaye, Scholer.
“The Globe and Mail” (February 26, 2002) (archived)
Enigmatic pop star Michael Jackson has taken on a new identity: an investor in a Canadian film company.
The reclusive U.S. entertainer has agreed to invest $15-million (U.S.) to $20-million in MDP Worldwide Entertainment Inc., a little-known Montreal film producer and distributor. Details of the stock transaction were not disclosed but the investment makes Neverland Entertainment, a company controlled by Mr. Jackson, MDP's second-largest shareholder. MDP will operate a new division to be called Neverland Pictures.
"We felt honoured and really fortunate he wanted to do business with an independent company and not a major studio," said Mark Damon, MDP chairman and chief executive officer. Mr. Damon, a former B-movie actor best known for playing the romantic lead in director Roger Corman's 1960 thriller The House of Usher, began producing and distributing films in 1977.
Mr. Damon described his new business partner as "very straightforward, easy to be with, modest and shy." MDP, a company controlled by Mr. Damon, is best known for its successful overseas distribution business. Formerly known as Behaviour Communications Inc., MDP distributed last year's swashbuckler epic The Musketeer.
News of the investment sent the shares of MDP, a penny stock that trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange, climbing. Class B shares jumped 85 per cent in value, up 11 cents to 25 cents. About 1.2 million shares were traded, more than 40 times the normal volume of about 29,000 shares.
"Films have always been a passion for me as a fan and as an artist, and there is nothing in the world like the magic captured forever in a time capsule like motion picture images," Mr. Jackson said in a statement.
A personal connection led to the investment. In the mid-1990s, Mr. Damon and film director Raju Patel worked together on two live-action movies based on author Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. Mr. Patel began developing projects with Neverland Entertainment last year and Mr. Damon got a call. Six weeks ago, the film executive visited Mr. Jackson's sprawling Neverland estate north of Santa Barbara, Calif.
"It's like Disneyland . . . it is quite stupendous," Mr. Damon said. The grounds feature an amusement park, a petting zoo, a video arcade and a miniature train that circles the property.
Mr. Damon soon learned he had distributed one of Mr. Jackson's favourite films, 1981's An American Werewolf in London.
The horror film inspired Mr. Jackson's 1983 hit record and music video Thriller.
This fall, Mr. Damon expects to begin work on his first Neverland project, a live-action adaptation of the fairy tale Tom Thumb. A comedy/adventure movie in the style of adolescent sorcerer Harry Potter is also under consideration, he said.