Participant Productions Acquires North American Rights to 'Fast Food Nation' From Hanway Films

Participant Productions Acquires North American Rights to Fast Food Nation from Hanway Films
 

CANNES, FRANCE, May 15, 2005--Participant Productions, the Los Angeles based entertainment company founded in 2004 by eBay pioneer and philanthropist Jeff Skoll, has acquired North American rights and taken an equity stake in the upcoming film, Fast Food Nation from HanWay Films, which is handling international sales, it was announced today by Participant Productions President Ricky Strauss.

A Recorded Picture Company production, produced by Jeremy Thomas and Malcolm McLaren, Fast Food Nation is directed by Richard Linklater and written by Eric Schlosser and Linklater. The film is inspired by Schlosser’s bestseller Fast Food Nation. Jeff Skoll will serve as executive producer. The film is scheduled to begin production this fall.

“We’re thrilled to be working with this fantastic filmmaking team on this timely and provocative project” said Strauss. Fast Food Nation fits Participant’s mandate of making socially relevant, commercially viable feature films which center on important social issues that awaken, inspire and empower audiences to make a difference,” he added.

“Eric Schlosser, Richard Linklater, Malcolm McLaren and I are delighted to be working with such a forward thinking group of people at Participant Productions,” said Jeremy Thomas.

Oscar nominee Linklater was unable to be in Cannes for the announcement as he is currently in post-production on two films, The Bad News Bears and A Scanner Darkly.

Oscar- winning producer Jeremy Thomas’ HanWay Films, headed by Tim Haslam, is in Cannes this year with Woody Allen’s Match Point, out of competition and Wim Wenders’ Don’t Come Knocking in competition. They are also representing the new Saul Zaentz/Milos Forman project Goya’s Ghosts.

About Participant Productions--Currently, Participant is co-producing, with Warner Bros, Syriana, written and directed by Stephen Gaghan and starring George Clooney and Matt Damon, and Untitled Niki Caro Project, directed by Niki Caro (Whalerider) and starring Charlize Theron.

Additional Participant projects include Good Night, and Good Luck, the story of renowned broadcaster Edward R. Murrow’s legendary on-air confrontations with Senator Joseph McCarthy that helped bring down the infamous politician, directed by and starring George Clooney; IFC Films’ American Gun, an ensemble piece about gun proliferation in America, starring Donald Sutherland, Forest Whitaker and Marcia Gay Harden, and the documentary, The World According to Sesame Street.

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