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It was really emotional for everybody.
In a few hours,The Exorcist, the remaster, screens.
This is its 50th anniversary.
Dan Cohen and Annabelle Dunne in VeniceGetty Images
Thats pretty amazing to have those as your bookends, as your postscript.
They came to the set when they were in town for other reasons and reached out.
He said, Im shooting, and they came to the set and that was really fun.
To have them to see that happen was really important for us.
Two things were discussed at the very first meeting with Billy.
One was his vision to do this film as a streaming premiere, says Cohen.
He did12 Angry Menfor Showtime in 1997.
George C. Scott won an Emmy.
We were aligned that this was going to be made as a television event, not a theatrical event.
And it was Venice.
He won the lifetime achievement award here 10 years ago.
Im just so grateful he made one more movie, from start to finish.
And while he couldnt be here, his dream got realised.
And I am just very grateful that that happened.
He didnt have the time or the energy to focus on anything but making the movie.
He felt like he was in really good hands with where hed sold it.
They completely gave him carte blanche to do what he wanted.
It just wasnt a thing that he was thinking about.
He was so focused on getting the actors and the script and making it happen.
Im really spoiled now because every single person we had was at the top of their field.
We had an incredible casting director [Denise Chamian].
She was instrumental, and Billy commanded the best.
If youre surrounded by the best, its not hard to do your job, she says.
They all wanted to work with Billy… Cohen will be also be partnering under the Republic Pictures banner.
Its a really fascinating global story.
And I love things that work for a global marketplace because my distribution business is worldwide, says Cohen.
Julia Nottinghams UK company Dorothy Street Productions is also on board.
Republic Pictures previously worked with London-based production house on the Lionel Ritchie-produced documentaryA Night In Pop.
I worked with them on that.
And then discovered that Julia was going to do Lagerfeld with them [Dunne and Carter].
My business is largely acquiring content for distribution.
I sit within Paramount global.
I dont have a development team.
Im not a development exec, I have really no production infrastructure at all.
Thats where some somebody like Annabelle is so great for me.
I knew I was going to get a quality film and Im ecstatic with what they delivered.
And I dont have to worry about Lagerfeld because its in great hands.
And then my job is just to get it into the marketplace.
Its a little unpredictable, says Cohen, he says on the underlying strategy.
On the movieBlackBerry, for example, that had a very nice run in the U.S. theatrically through IFC.
We dont have it outside of the North America., but we have North America rights.
Were a very, very very modular distribution group.
its kind of a nice synergy, he says.
I want to think like that and I want to be like that.
