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PICTUREHOUSE ACQUIRES GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S “PAN’S LABYRINTH”
Haunting fairy tale produced by Alfonso Cuarón, del Toro, Frida Torresblanco and Bertha Navarro

NEW YORK, January 23, 2006 — Bob Berney, president of Picturehouse, announced today that the company has acquired all North American rights to Guillermo del Toro’s haunting fairy tale PAN’S LABYRINTH starring Mirabel Verdú (Y tu mamá también), Sergi Lopez (Dirty Pretty Things), Ivana Baquero (Fragile) and Doug Jones (Hellboy).

PAN'S LABYRINTH is a fanciful and chilling story set against the backdrop of a fascist regime in 1944 rural Spain. The film centers on Ofelia, a lonely and dreamy child living with her mother and adoptive father; a military officer tasked with ridding the area of rebels. In her loneliness, Ofelia creates a world filled with fantastical creatures and secret destinies. With post-war repression at its height, Ofelia must come to terms with her world through a fable of her own creation.

“This is a stunning film; both in its visuals and narrative,” said Berney. “Guillermo is a master filmmaker and the ultimate film fan as well. It’s a pleasure to be working with him and my friends Alfonso and Frida.”

“This film has been the single most fulfilling creative experience of my career,” said del Toro. “Hopefully it represents a future direction for my work. PAN’S LABYRINTH is a passion project and it took over two years of my life to see it made the way I wanted it.”

“PAN’S LABYRINTH is an explosion of the full potential of Guillermo’s mind,” said Alfonso Cuarón.

Produced, written and directed by del Toro, PAN’S LABYRINTH was produced by Telecinco, through its production arm, Estudios Picasso, headed by Álvaro Augustin, Tequla Gang’s Bertha Navarro and del Toro and Esperanto Filmoj’s Alfonso Cuarón and Frida Torresblanco. The film’s producers are Cuarón, del Toro, Torresblanco and Navarro. The executive producer is Augustin. Longtime del Toro collaborator Guillermo Navarro served as director of photography.

Guillermo del Toro is best-known for Hellboy, Mimic, Cronos, The Devil’s Backbone (El Espinazo del Diablo) and Blade II. PAN’S LABYRINTH in Spanish is El Laberinto del Fauno.

The deal was brokered on behalf of Picturehouse by Berney, Sara Rose, Senior VP Acquisitions and Carolyn Blackwood, Senior VP Business and Legal Affairs for New Line Cinema and negotiated on behalf of the film by Carole Baraton at Wild Bunch.

Launched in April 2005, Picturehouse is the joint venture of two leaders of the entertainment community - HBO and New Line Cinema. Picturehouse currently has in release the critically acclaimed Israeli comedy by Gidi Dar, Ushpizin (The Guests). Upcoming films include Michael Winterbottom’s Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story starring Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon and Jeremy Northam; Mary Harron's The Notorious Bettie Page starring Gretchen Mol; Steven Shainberg’s Fur, which recently wrapped production and stars Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey, Jr.; and Robert Altman’s A Prairie Home Companion based on Garrison Keillor’s legendary radio variety show and starring Keillor (as himself), with Academy Award®-winners Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Tommy Lee Jones, Academy Award®-nominees Lily Tomlin, John C. Reilly, Woody Harrelson, Virginia Madsen, “Saturday Night Live’s” Maya Rudolph and Lindsay Lohan.

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