Sahara One to make huge Hollywood flick

Sahara One Motion Pictures, India’s big player in the market is extending its activities into mainstream Hollywood. The company has closed participation in Producer Donald Rosenfeld?s forthcoming multi-starrer movie project, Tree of Life, which will be directed by Terrence Malick.

?Tree of Life? would feature Colin Farrel and two other major Hollywood stars in the lead roles. Terrence Malick will also script the film and Emmanual Lubezki is the proposed director of photography.

Shantonu Aditya, CEO, Sahara One, said, ?Our association with Tree of Life marks the entry of Sahara One Motion Pictures into mainstream Hollywood, and we are delighted to be associated with Producer Donald Rosenfeld and Director Terrence Malick on this multi-starrer. Percept Picture Company will be the executive producer of this prestigious project.?

Tree of Life Producer Donald Rosenfeld said, ?We are thrilled to be in business with Sahara One Motion Pictures and Percept Picture Company and we look forward to many more great collaborations in the future — both in India and USA.?

Aditya said, ?Apart from superstar Collin Farrel, Tree of Life will feature two more top Hollywood stars. Pre-production of the film is slated to commence in January 2006, and the release is expected some time in 2008.?

Sahara One Motion Pictures will part-finance the film, around 30% of which will be shot in India. Percept Picture Company will be the executive producer of the prestigious project.

Tree of Life stars Colin Farrel, perhaps the hottest young Hollywood star today. Farrel, who has worked with legendary directors such as Steven Spielbergin Minority Report (2002), was also seen in a memorable lead role in the film Phone Booth (2002). He also co-starred with Bruce Willis in Hart’s War (2001).

Tree of Life will be directed by Terrence Mallik, whose new film to be out in November 2005 is “The New World” — a new interpretation of the Ponchantas/John Smith story, which stars Colin Farrel. Mallik has several movies to his credit, including Bad Lands, Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line. He has won 4 Oscars for his movies.

Tree of Life Producer Donald Rosenfeld has had a successful and distinguished career in Motion Pictures. From 1987-1998 Rosenfeld ran Merchant Ivory Productions where he produced two films a year, including Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, Ballad of the Sad Caf?, Howards End (which received 8 Oscar nominations, Remains of the Day (9 Oscar nominations). Other films include In Custody, Jefferson In Paris, Feast of July, Surviving Picasso, etc.