PARIS KASIDOKOSTAS-LATSIS SETS UP HERCULES FILM FUND & LONGTIME PARTNER TERRY DOUGAS SETS SAIL WITH
RHEA FILMS
New banners to finance and produce Doug Liman’s MENA starring Tom Cruise
Greek ship-owner Paris Kasidokostas-Latsis has set up the Luxembourg based Hercules Film Fund, to bring European investors to Hollywood to finance 3 – 5 wide release films per year. In parallel, Terry Dougas has formed a new production banner called Rhea Films (the mother of all Greek Gods), which will be the producing vehicle for films financed by Hercules. The first film under the new banner will be Doug Liman’s “Mena” starring Tom Cruise, which will be co-financed by Hercules and co-produced by Rhea Films. Paris Kasidokostas-Latsis, Terry Dougas and Jean-Luc De Fanti will serve as executive producers. Principal photography on the Imagine, Quadrant Pictures and Cross Creek Pictures production began today in Atlanta.
Film finance veteran Joe Cohen served as an advisor to the creation of the fund and Sky Moore served as legal counsel.
Hercules and Rhea Films will operate independently from 1821 Media, the already established multimedia production and finance company, owned by the long-time business partners. 1821 Media specializes in high quality film, television, graphic novels and digital media and has a number of projects set up at studios, including: William Wheeler’s Untitled Kyriakides Project for Disney and Mayhem Pictures, and "The Odyssey" for Warner Bros., which David Heyman (HARRY POTTER) is producing. The company has also forged successful partnerships with independent filmmakers, such as Natalie Portman and comic book legend Stan Lee.
Currently, 1821 is in post-production on Gavin O'Connor’s “Jane Got A Gun,” starring Natalie Portman for Relativity and TWC, and Paul Weitz’ critically acclaimed “Grandma,” starring Lily Tomlin for Sony Classics. Previously released titles include: “And While We Were Here,” starring Kate Bosworth; Robert Rodriquez’s “Machete Kills”; “Swing Vote” starring Kevin Costner; “The Box” starring Cameron Diaz; and “The Invention of Lying” starring Ricky Gervais and Jennifer Garner. 1821 published the New York Times Best Selling and award-winning “Romeo & Juliet: The War” in association with Stan Lee and is currently developing it into a major motion picture. The company also produced documentary “With Great Power” the Stan Lee Story and recently launched Stan Lee's Kids Universe.