Cuaron, del Toro and Inarritu gain Focus

Mexican auteurs sign five-film deal with Focus Features

May 18 2007

Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu have secured a deal with Universal's Focus Features to fund and sell the next five films under their Tres banner.

The package deal equates to an overall budget of around $100 million; a figure surely seen by Focus as a very safe bet, given the combined critical and box-office successes of Cuaron, Del Toro and Inarritu's most recent respective efforts 'Children Of Men', 'Pan's Labyrinth' and 'Babel'.

The agreement will see the production of both Spanish and English language features, with the Tres partners each directing a film, along with fellow writer-directors Carlos Cuaron and Rodrigo Garcia.

Despite Universal financing and co-owning the projects, creative control will reside with the filmmakers, with Carlos Cuaron's 'Rudo y Cursi', starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, the first film out of the gate.

'We are proud not only to be part of the world cinema community, but also students of it,' said Alfonso Cuaron, Del Toro and Inarritu in a joint statement. 'Universal and Focus are affording us a safe haven to keep doing the work we love as well as nurture other filmmakers.'

Given the Mexican trio are among the most exciting filmmakers working today, and Focus' proven track record for championing original cinema – with hits 'Lost In Translation' and Inarritu's '21 Grams' already to their credit – this deal seems like the perfect marriage.