Grey Owl
Rate Movie[Total: 5 Average: 3.2]
-
- Directed By: Richard Attenborough
- Written By: William Nicholson
- Release Date: October 1, 1999
- Domestic Distributor: Sony
- Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Stewart Bick, Vlasta Vrana
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $30 million | Financed by: Allied Filmmakers; Largo Entertainment |
|---|---|
| Domestic Gross: $632,617 | Overseas Gross: N/A |
Richard Attenborough had tried get Grey Owl into production in 1993 with Pierce Brosnan attached, but investors did not consider him bankable and the project languished. Heat around Brosnan obviously increased once he landed Bond and was also toplining mega-budget pictures like Dante’s Peak (1997) and funding was finally secured for Grey Owl.
The budget for Grey Owl was $30 million and the expensive indie production was bankrolled by Allied Filmmakers and Largo Entertainment — with Largo owning foreign rights. The production also received significant Canadian tax credits. The studios and major distributors passed on the project in pre-production and Summit was the sales rep when the film was completed. Grey Owl was brought to the 1999 American Film Market, but there were no buyers.
On October 1, 1999 Grey Owl was theatrically released in North America, but only in Canada. Reviews were mixed to poor. It was booked into 70 theaters and opened with $162,360 and quietly closed with $632,617.
Sony eventually picked up stateside rights for a straight to video release in February 2000. Grey Owl landed a small theatrical run in a few overseas markets, but box office numbers are unavailable.