'Enemies,' Ranch' lead Capitol slate

LONDON - Robert Redford's "Against All Enemies," starring Bruce Willis, and Taylor Hackford's "Love Ranch," starring Helen Mirren, topline the slate of productions that Capitol Films is bringing to the American Film Market, which starts next week in Santa Monica.

Also new to Capitol's sales roster are Todd Robinson's "The Last Full Measure," starring John Cusack, Clark Johnson's "Chinese Wall," Dominic Savage's "Mood Indigo" and 3D wildlife pic "Distant Thunder" by Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone.

Total production budget for the slate, all being lined up to shoot pre-strike, is described as "in excess of $300 million."

"This is not only the strongest slate Capitol has taken to a market, but one of the most impressive lineups ever offered by an independent sales company," claimed Capitol's co-managing directors Nick Hill and Peter Naish in a statement. "It reflects the ambition of our company as we continue to grow in the future."

"Against All Enemies" is based on Richard Clarke's memoir about his role as counter-terrorism advisor to three U.S. presidents, in which he alleges that the Bush administration overlooked the threat from Al-Qaeda in months leading up to the 9/11 attacks.

Project was originally in development at Columbia, but the studio put it into turnaround because of nervousness about its political themes. Shooting is expected to start next spring in Connecticut.

"Love Ranch" stars Mirren alongside Joe Pesci, as the couple who opened Nevada's first legal brothel. Shooting is set for late January in Albuquerque.

"The Last Full Measure" is the story of an Air Force officer investigating whether a dead war hero should get the Medal of Honor, 30 years after he died in the Vietnam War.
"Mood Indigo" is a WWII love story scripted by Emily Watson and Jack Waters, about a heartbroken young woman who falls in love with a young pilot.

"Chinese Wall" is a thriller about a young lawyer tackling CIA corruption, at the risk of his own life.

Capitol will screen the first footage from Tony Kaye's "Black Water Transit" at AFM, and new footage from John Maybury's "The Edge of Love," starring Keira Knightley.

The company is also in pre-production on "Love and Other Impossible Pursuits," directed by Don Roos and starring Jennifer Lopez; "The Boys Are Back in Town," directed by Scott Hicks and starring Clive Owen; and "Mary Queen of Scots," starring Scarlett Johansson for director John Curran. Oscar-winning writer Ronald Harwood has just completed a new draft of the "Mary Queen of Scots" script.