Kushner-Locke's ``The Adventures of Pinocchio'' off to strong start internationally
with more than $13 million in France and Germany
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 21, 1996--The Kushner-Locke Co.'s (NASDAQ/NNM:KLOC) family adventure film, ``The
Adventures of Pinocchio,'' which was released in the United States through New Line Cinema this summer, is flexing impressive
box-office muscle internationally, having already grossed more than $17 million in four foreign territories, it was announced Thursday
by Gregory Cascante, president and chief executive officer of Kushner-Locke International, which holds foreign distribution rights to
the movie.
The international theatrical box-office total to date includes France, $7.7 million, second only to ``Mission Impossible,'' recording 1.1
million admissions in the first 25 days of release; Germany, $5,767,813, with 860,000 admissions in the first six weeks; Australia,
$1,618,557 in the first 18 days of release; and Great Britain, $2.7 million in the first 12 days of release.
`` `Pinocchio' is performing very well, has been receiving excellent word of mouth and is showing strong staying power in these
countries,'' commented Cascante. ``The movie has now been licensed in every foreign territory, and we are most enthusiastic over the
results of these early dates.
``We are particularly gratified that our distributors and co-producers perceive `Pinocchio' to be a major `event' picture and have
released it accordingly. We're expecting more great numbers from upcoming Christmas dates in Japan, Spain and Latin America,
among other territories.''
``The Adventures of Pinocchio'' is based on Carlo Collodi's classic children's novel and stars Martin Landau as the master puppet
maker Geppetto, Jonathan Taylor Thomas in the title role and is directed by Steve Barron (``Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'').
Kushner-Locke is a leading independent entertainment company primarily engaged in the development, production and distribution
of television programming and the development and production of feature films for theatrical release and direct release to home video
and cable. |
