News Segment
METALLICA INKS UNUSUAL DOCUMENTARY DEAL:
March 5, 2004
NEW YORK (Billboard) – Metallica has struck a unique deal for its documentary “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster,” which was featured at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival in January.
Under the agreement, Metallica will own and pay for marketing costs of the film, IFC Films will have U.S. distribution rights for theatrical release and Paramount Home Entertainment will release the movie on VHS/DVD.
IFC also will partner with the band on funding the marketing campaign’s print and advertising costs. Metallica and the group’s Q Prime Management will have consulting roles for distribution. It is unusual for an act to take on such extensive business responsibilities for a theatrically released documentary about itself.
The theatrical release of “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster” will coincide with the band’s upcoming North American tour, which began March 2 in Phoenix. The documentary, produced and directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, is expected to roll out in most of the same markets that the tour will visit.
Berlinger and Sinofsky’s film company, Third Eye — which will have a role in worldwide distribution of the movie — currently is negotiating the release of the film in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, France, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Brazil.
Carla Hay courtesy of Billboard