The Big Empty - Press Archive - Variety

 

Source: Variety
17 May 2002

Echo Lake, Aura make “Big” plans
by Dana Harris

Aura Entertainment and Echo Lake Prods. are co-financing “The Big Empty,”
starring Jon Favreau and Rachael Leigh Cook.

Written and directed by Steven Anderson, “Empty” is the story of a budding
actor faced with a stalled career and a mountain of debt. After receiving a
strange financial offer, he embarks on a journey in a California desert town
that transports him to another world.

The cast also includes Kelsey Grammer, Sean Bean, Adam Beach, Joey Lauren
Adams, Daryl Hannah, Gary Farmer, Jon Gries, and Bud Cort.

Doug Mankoff and Andrew Spaulding of Echo Lake are producing with
Rainstorm Entertainment principals Steve Kaplan and Gregg Daniel. Aura
principals Steven Bickel and Jeffrey Kramer are exec producing the project,
with Bickel repping the pic.

“’The Big Empty’ was the first script to truly provide the elements we believe
could make for a successful, highly entertaining picture,” says Aura prexy
Bickel. He adds that Aura aims to adapt to “the current state of this changing
business and provide our distributors with a genuine upside by recognizing
their financial realities.”

Aura is a partnership between industry vets Bickel and Kramer that is part of
Lexington Entertainment Group, which includes East of Doheny Prods., Post
Logic Studios, Creo and Lexington Funding.

Lexington Commercial Holdings is LEG’s parent company, with interests in
commercial real estate, U.S. private and public companies and is the
co-founder of Firstream Group, a European creator and operator of Internet
and technology companies.

Echo Lake is a production company with exclusive access to a private
investment fund. The shingle has helped produce and finance Jill Sprecher’s
“Thirteen Conversations About One Thing,” Allison Anders’ “Things Behind the
Sun” and David Riker’s “The City.”

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