Free Money
Rate Movie[Total: 6 Average: 3]
- Directed By: Yves Simoneau
- Written By: Tony Peck, Joseph Brutsman
- Release Date: March 16, 1999
- Domestic Distributor: Starz (TV) | Lionsgate (home video)
- Cast: Marlon Brando, Charlie Sheen, Mira Sorvino, Donald Sutherland
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $22 million | Financed by: Filmline |
|---|---|
| Domestic Gross: $0 | Overseas Gross: $0 |
The budget for Free Money was $22 million and Montreal-based Behaviour Communications launched a short lived film production company called Filmline, which financed this little seen and subsequently forgotten movie.
Behaviour had acquired sales rep MDP Worldwide, which handled pre-sales that began at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival and it landed additional market sales at Mifed in October. $3 million of the budget went to Marlon Brando for 4 weeks of work, who viewed this project as a comeback after his humiliating turn in the trainwreck The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996). Pre-sales covered the majority of expenses for this pic that also toplined Charlie Sheen, Mira Sorvino, Donald Sutherland, Martin Sheen and David Arquette.
After the picture was completed, this belabored black comedy was passed over for theatrical distribution and the best deal Filmline could land was $750,000 to premiere Free Money on the cable channel Starz. Lionsgate took home video rights and had to wait six months to release the movie after it first aired on TV.
Free Money went either straight to video or TV in most overseas markets and no reported theatrical grosses came from any market. Brando had only one other role after this dud, The Score (2001).