Aug. 05, 2004

First Independent orders up 'Wife'

By Ian Mohr

NEW YORK -- Gary Rubin's burgeoning distribution shingle First Independent Pictures has acquired domestic rights to writer-helmer Andrew Gurland and Huck Botko's "Mail Order Wife," formerly known as "Mail Order Bride."

First Independent has slated a February release for the film, executive produced by Hypnotic co-founders Doug Liman and David Bartis.
"Wife" centers on Adrian, a lonely guy from Queens, N.Y., who is fed up with dating. After deciding to order an Asian wife through a catalog, Adrian is paid by filmmakers to document the experience.

The film stars Eugenia Yuan, Adrian Martinez and Gurland.

Cherry Road Films' Bo Hyde and Kendall Morgan produced "Wife" along with Nina Yang and Bob Sheng's Double Edge Entertainment, Andrew Weiner and Avram Ludwig.

"('Wife') is unlike any other film I have seen," said Rubin, the former Artisan Entertainment executive vp sales and acquisitions who launched his new company this year. "It is a film that defies genre. It has everything a modern moviegoer is looking for: laughs, social commentary, a compelling story and tons of surprises."

Rubin's slate also includes "Pursued," starring Christian Slater, Michael Clarke Duncan and Estella Warren.
Gurland and Botko are teaming with Liman, Bartis and Principato-Young on a pilot for FX called "Human Animals."