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[John Aboud <jathree AT panix.com>]

From Variety.

-ja3

Apollo backs $25 million 'Karate Chimps'

Pic stars ape skilled in martial arts

By ED MEZA

BERLIN -- German film fund Apollo Media is bankrolling "Karate Chimps," a
family-oriented action comedy about a simian trained in the martial arts.

Apollo's Frank Huebner, Quality International's Jan Fantl and Signature
Entertainment's Moshe Diamant are producing the pic, which is being directed
by Gene Quintano. Quintano penned the trio's recent co-productions "The
Musketeer" and "Extremists."

Huebner, Fantl and Diamant also produced the upcoming thriller from helmer
Bill Malone, "Fear.com."

Apollo has a non-exclusive relationship with Diamant, but Huebner said he
hopes there will be more joint projects to come. "You don't change a winning
team," he said.

Budgeted north of 28 million euros ($25 million), "Chimps" will be backed by
the $54 million Apollo Media 5 fund, which is finance around 10 projects,
including "Boat Trip," Samuel L. Jackson-starrer "No Good Deed," "Kart
Racer," "Animal Tales" and "George and the Dragon." The budgets for the
projects start at $2 million.

"Chimps" will begin lensing Dec. 18, although a cast is yet to be signed.
Pic will lense in the U.K., Luxembourg and Germany.v