Black Woman Wins 112 Million Through Lotto, Starts Hollywood Film & TV Studio

By Lisa Horowitz of The Wrap

While Hollywood goes chasing to Abu Dhabi and Mumbai for ever-scarcer funds to finance its movies, the industry might do better just heading to 7-Eleven.

The latest film fund, $30 million to make romantic comedies, thrillers and faith-based dramas, comes from the lottery winnings of Cynthia Stafford, who shared a $67 million jackpot with her father and brother in 2007.

Now the African American single homemaker from Hawthorne, California wants to make movies.

"What I like about movies is it's something ongoing," Stafford said. "Movies from the '20s, '30s, '40s -- I still see them today and think, 'Wow, this is something that can go on forever."

The film fund, which follows the creation of her production company Queen Nefertari Productions, will be repped by the Gersh Agency. The banner already has four projects lined up.

Stafford is CEO and executive producer of Queen Nefertari.

The production funding, which comes from private investments, will be used to finance or co-finance commercial feature films. They aim to expand the fund over the next 18 months by recruiting other investors or forming partnerships.

Given the difficult financing climate in Hollywood of late, with even big names such as Imagine Entertainment, George Clooney and Brett Ratner turning to outside sources like India's Reliance Big Pictures, Stafford definitely has a leg up with her lottery winnings.

With the assistance of the Gersh Agency, specifically Jay Cohen, the Queen Nefertari partners have been setting up meetings and putting together projects. Gersh's film financing and packaging division represents the banner.

Stafford was quietly raising her late brother's five children in Hawthorne, California, when she and her father and another brother bought a $2 Mega Millions lottery ticket. They won $112 million, but took a lump-sum payment of $67 million.

Since that life-changing event, Stafford has become a philanthropist, donating $1 million to the Geffen Theater and becoming part of its outreach efforts. She said she named her company after the Egyptian queen Nefertari because she was a patron of the arts, and “a queen for peace. She had tremendous power, a great love of herself and her family – that's who I am.”

Stafford recently produced a pair of independent movies, multicultural coming-of-age tale “Polish Bar” and supernatural thriller “The Gathering.”

Queen Nefertari expects to have its first film in production by the end of this month or, at the latest, the first of the year.

The company is looking primarily at commercial projects in four broad genres: comedy, romantic comedy, thriller/horror and faith-based.

Continue...

WILL SMITH TO REMAKE KARATE KID... OH HELL TO THE NO!

Will Smith's son Jaden is set to star in a remake of cult classic 'The Karate Kid." Will's nine-year-old son is being lined up to play Daniel LaRusso in a new version of the popular 1984 film, with Jackie Chan as his martial arts mentor Mr. Miyagi. It is rumoured the 'Men In Black' star is set to make his directorial debut and helm the movie.

But I say Hell to the No!

You remember the original Karate Kid, that follows youngster Daniel, who learns karate to help cope with school bullies. The first 'Karate Kid' - which starred Ralph Macchio as Daniel and the late Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi. It was the best and ya' don't mess with the best. I don't care if it has been over 20 years since the first one. Because the first one is a classic. And I certified it as a classic a month ago when I bought the original on DVD. In the midst of my kids clamoring for "Jump In" and "High School Musical" I have made it my purpose every month to pull out a "Classic Movie" And have 'movie night' with them with all the fix'ns; popcorn, juice, sleeping bags and the whole family together. Why? So they will appreciate the anticipation of "an event" and know that classic movies and classic television is where it's at.

Case in point: Last week my kids first grade teacher brings in the theme music to televisions The Adams Family ... but my kids knew all the songs words having already seen at least 12 of the original TV series episodes from my DVD collection. Currently Saturday morning cartoons are a disgrace ... until I whip out my classic Looney Tunes collection, with Bugs, Daffy and Elmer. To the joy of my heart, my twin girls want to be Sylvester and Tweetie for Halloween!

Hello ... that's Mel Blanc's voice they are trying to mimic. As we speak I have someone working on getting me the School House Rock collection. Ya' gotta smile when I ask, "Conjunction Junction what's your function? "
Leave the classics alone.

Will's production company Overbrook Entertainment will produce the remake alongside Jerry Weintraub, producer of the original film. Well if the original producers are involved ... here's a concept. Re-release the original Karate Kid. Todays kids have not seen it and would appreciate it just as much as we did, back then. They re-released the Star Wars original episodes and they made almost as much money as the first release.

You are crazy if you don't think they will re-release Star Wars in another 15 years. Disney does it with all it's classic cartoons. Last month I took my kids to see the original Jungle Book, at the theatre. This was the last movie that Walt Disney personally supervised, so how old is that?? You can't imagine how big my kids eyes got when I took the little "jaded, we've seen it all" tikes to see on a big screen, Mary Poppins!

Does anyone understand me? Or are we ready to do that Wizard of OZ all over again. When is the last time you took out Claudine? You say High School Musical, I say FAME!

You say Dream Girls ... I say SPARKLE! Wow, don't get me going now!

With all the great new and undiscovered screen plays and writer out there, Big Will, you can't tell me there is not an original story you and your son could do. Will Smith if this is going to be your directorial debut and you insist on redoing a classic, I have three words of advice for you ... Wild Wild West.