Red Granite Pictures
 | |
| Industry | Film |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder | Riza Aziz Joey McFarland Jho Low |
| Defunct | 2018 |
| Headquarters | West Hollywood, California |
| Products | Motion pictures |
| Website | redgranitepictures |
Red Granite Pictures was an American film production and distribution company, co-founded by Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland in 2010.[1] Its productions included The Wolf of Wall Street and Dumb and Dumber To. It was dissolved in 2018 after being implicated in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad corruption scandal.
History
Red Granite Pictures made its debut with Friends with Kids, a romantic comedy written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt. They then executive-produced the thriller Out of the Furnace as well as the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street. The latter was directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie and Jonah Hill. The film is based on the memoir of the same name by former stockbroker Jordan Belfort.[2] Red Granite Pictures then produced films such as Dumb and Dumber To and the 2017 film Papillon which was based on the best-selling autobiography by the French convict Henri Charrière. They went defunct in 2018 due to an embezzlement scandal.
Controversies
The producers of the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber claimed Red Granite Pictures pushed them out of producing the 2014 sequel.[3] On July 16, 2014, plaintiffs withdrew their racketeering claim with prejudice, meaning it could not be refiled, which was characterized as a strong suggestion that the lawsuit underlying it had been settled.[4] On July 18, 2014, a request for dismissal was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and the case was officially settled. The announcement of the settlement lists the plaintiffs as executive producers, and all claims of racketeering made against Red Granite, Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland were withdrawn. The plaintiffs said in a statement, “We apologize for naming Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland as individual defendants rather than just Red Granite.”[5]
Red Granite Pictures was caught up in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal.[6] The alleged use of funds stolen from 1MDB is detailed in the book Billion Dollar Whale by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope. In 2016, the FBI issued subpoenas to several past and present employees of the company in regard to allegations that US$155 million was diverted from 1MDB to help finance the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street.[7][8][9][10] Red Granite Pictures, which has the ex-Malaysian Prime Minister's stepson, Riza Aziz, as its co-founder and chairman, denied any wrongdoing.[11] However, in March 2018, Red Granite Pictures agreed to pay $60 million to the US government in order to settle a civil lawsuit alleging that its movies were funded in part by money siphoned from 1MDB.[12][13][14]
Filmography
- As producer
See also
References
- ^ "Red Granite Pictures: Duo combine investment savvy with creative juice". Variety.
- ^ McClintock, Pamela (May 22, 2012). "Red Granite Pictures Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland on Scorsese's "Wolf of Wall Street"". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "'Dumb and Dumber' Producers Fire Back".
- ^ "'Wolf of Wall Street' Financier Gets Racketeering Claim Dropped". The Hollywood Reporter. 16 July 2014.
- ^ Johnson, Ted (19 July 2014). "Red Granite, 'Dumb and Dumber' Producers Settle Dispute Over Sequel". Variety.com. Variety.com.
- ^ "Red Granite: What Lies Ahead for the Embattled Company With Its Sales Arm Gone?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
- ^ The Secret Money Behind ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’
- ^ Malaysia's 1MDB refutes report that it financed 'Wolf of Wall Street': Statement
- ^ FBI probes 1MDB-Red Granite US$155m financing claim - WSJ
- ^ ‘The Wolf Of Wall Street’ Financed By Wolf Of Malaysia?
- ^ "Malaysia's mega-scandal: Switzerland widens its enquiries into Malaysia's 1MDB". The Economist. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ Iyengar, Rishi. "'Wolf of Wall Street' maker settles US lawsuit for $60 million". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
- ^ "Red Granite Pictures to Pay $60 Million to U.S. Government in Malaysian Corruption Case". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
- ^ "Red Granite to pay US gov't RM230m, salary for Riza slashed". Malaysiakini. 2018-03-07. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
- ^ Liza Foreman (November 8, 2012). "'The Wolf of Wall Street' Secures Overseas Distribution in Multiple Territories Through Universal". TheWrap. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ Dominic Patten (November 8, 2012). "Universal International Acquires 'Wolf Of Wall Street' European Rights". Deadline. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ "Golden Globes 2014: Leonardo DiCaprio wins Best Actor for The Wolf of". The Independent. 2014-01-13. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
External links
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