Cutting Edge Group, which has provided music services for more than 175 films, is stepping up its profile by producing for the first time.
It has boarded helmer Paul Andrew Williams music-based dramedy “Song for Marion,” starring Terence Stamp, Vanessa Redgrave and Gemma Arterton.
Cutting Edge Group CEO Philip Moross is producing alongside Ken Marshall.
Pic concerns a grumpy elderly man whose wife, Marion, persuades him to join an unconventional local choir.
EOne is repping international rights at Cannes while the Weinstein Co. has the U.S. rights and has started showing the film to test audiences. TWC has yet to set a release date for “Marion,” which was shot in northeast England.
London-based CEG has gained notice by ponying up the money for scoring, clearances and music supervision in a film. It then recoups from such sources as soundtrack and sheet music sales, licensing and royalties from international ticket sales and TV deals.
At the start of Cannes, it closed a multi-picture slate deal with Endgame Entertainment, with Steven Soderbergh’s “The Bitter Pill” as the first title.
For “Marion,” CEG provided Marshall’s Steel Mill Pictures with music supervision, score supervision, editing and orginal song composition. Deal for the soundtrack is being negotiated by Cutting Edge.
Moross procured a significant proportion of the equity funding from Coolmore Prods. Film House Germany and Egoli Tossell also provided equity with Northstar Ventures providing support and equity finance and Aegis Film Fund came up with the balance of the finance. Alistair Ross and Moross’s daughter Tara exec produced and Jens Meurer co-produced.
Philip Moross told Variety that it made sense for CEG — currently servicing the music requirements for more than 70 films each year — to get involved with “Marion” since the project contains a significant amount of music. “I simply had to be involved with it as an active producer and fortunately Ken and Paul allowed me to jump aboard,” he said.
Moross believes “Marion” will tap into the underserved, older demographic, pointing to the $80 million in worldwide grosses racked up “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.”
“There’s real potential in the gray market,” he added.
In 2008, Cutting Edge received an initial investment of $15 million from Aberdeen Asset Management. It set up its first multipicture deal with Joel Silver’s Dark Castle in 2009.
