When buyers arrive at the 40 edition of the American Film Market , a movie is on their shopping list Topping the list: Platoon , writer-director Oliver Stone dabbled in the Vietnam War.
It took years for the movie to hit the screen. Stone started writing the screenplay mid 70 but couldn’t find anyone, although it did earn him writing 70 work Turkish prison drama Midnight Express , for which he won his first Oscar. Eventually, Stone struck a deal with producer Dino de Laurentiis, agreeing to write the script for Michael Cimino’s crime film Year of the Dragon , If De Laurentiis were to get funds for him to command platoons at below market prices. But when the veteran producer couldn’t find a distributor, John Daly of the British production company Helmdale made a deal for the films El Salvador and Platoon and signed Stone to direct both.
With the release of newly formed Orion Pictures, Platoon begins filming with a $6 million budget 1986 Philippine jungle. When it opened in December of that year, critic Roger Ebert quickly called it the best film of the year. It would go on to earn 138 million dollars domestically and receive eight Oscar nominations.
Not surprisingly, when AFM launched in March, Orion Senior Vice President and International Sales Manager David Lamping told the Hollywood Reporter that he had received some inquiries about the foreign rights of Platoon , but All territories were sold a year ago.
“In general, about % of our revenue comes from abroad, in a certain In some cases even more,” he added. A few weeks later, Platoon won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Stone for Best Director. “With this award, you’re really acknowledging this Vietnam veteran, and I think what you’re saying is your first real understanding of what’s going on there, and I think what you’re saying should be in,” Stone said in his acceptance. It will never happen again in our lifetime.”
This story first appeared in The Hollywood Reporter’s Nov. 2 issue of American Film Market Daily .
