New light has been shed on Leonardo DiCaprio’s relationship with a fugitive Malaysian businessman who’s wanted by international authorities in connection with a multibillion-dollar fraud scheme.
Bloomberg Businessweek reviewed previously undisclosed FBI documents detailing its grilling of the actor as the agency sought to understand the nature of his personal and professional partnership with Jho Low, the accused mastermind of a colossal scheme to fleece a sovereign wealth fund known as the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, which has led to the conviction of the country’s former prime minister for money laundering and abuse of power. Low was charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2021 for pursuing a “back channel lobbying campaign” to drop the government’s 1Mdb investigation. A fugitive for roughly eight years, Low is believed to be residing in China. An Interpol Red Notice was issued for his arrest in 2016.
An FBI special agent,...
Bloomberg Businessweek reviewed previously undisclosed FBI documents detailing its grilling of the actor as the agency sought to understand the nature of his personal and professional partnership with Jho Low, the accused mastermind of a colossal scheme to fleece a sovereign wealth fund known as the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, which has led to the conviction of the country’s former prime minister for money laundering and abuse of power. Low was charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2021 for pursuing a “back channel lobbying campaign” to drop the government’s 1Mdb investigation. A fugitive for roughly eight years, Low is believed to be residing in China. An Interpol Red Notice was issued for his arrest in 2016.
An FBI special agent,...
- 3/2/2023
- by Gary Baum
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Oscar-nominated producer, Joey McFarland, is being criticized for a recent “Emancipation” red carpet appearance where he carried around the original 1863 photograph that inspired the film- one that captured a man’s scarred back after escaping enslavement.
The man in the photo is known as Peter, who is portrayed by Will Smith in the upcoming action-thriller.
During the Los Angeles film premiere on Wednesday, McFarland told reporters that, due to his “love of history,” he curates and owns a collection of photographs capturing African Americans from the 19th century.
Read More: Will Smith Says He’s Lost Sleep Worrying About Whether Oscars Slap Will Affect ‘Emancipation’ Team’s Success
“They’ve been so poorly curated, preserved and protected. And so for the last couple of decades I have been seeking out and acquiring as many forgotten and lost photos as possible,” the film producer told The Hollywood Reporter.
He shared that the inspiring photograph,...
The man in the photo is known as Peter, who is portrayed by Will Smith in the upcoming action-thriller.
During the Los Angeles film premiere on Wednesday, McFarland told reporters that, due to his “love of history,” he curates and owns a collection of photographs capturing African Americans from the 19th century.
Read More: Will Smith Says He’s Lost Sleep Worrying About Whether Oscars Slap Will Affect ‘Emancipation’ Team’s Success
“They’ve been so poorly curated, preserved and protected. And so for the last couple of decades I have been seeking out and acquiring as many forgotten and lost photos as possible,” the film producer told The Hollywood Reporter.
He shared that the inspiring photograph,...
- 12/2/2022
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
Click here to read the full article.
Joey McFarland, the Oscar-nominated producer who has in the past generated headlines for his role in the 1Mdb embezzlement scandal, is sparking controversy once again. At the Emancipation premiere Wednesday, McFarland turned heads by walking the red carpet with the original photograph that inspired the film, one showing the scarred back of a man known as Peter who escaped enslavement.
On the carpet, McFarland told reporters that he curates and owns a collection of photos of African Americans from the 19th century, citing his “love of history.”
“They’ve been so poorly curated, preserved and protected. And so for the last couple of decades I have been seeking out and acquiring as many forgotten and lost photos as possible,” McFarland told The Hollywood Reporter Wednesday. The one that has impacted him the most, he said, is the photograph known as The Scourged Back.
Joey McFarland, the Oscar-nominated producer who has in the past generated headlines for his role in the 1Mdb embezzlement scandal, is sparking controversy once again. At the Emancipation premiere Wednesday, McFarland turned heads by walking the red carpet with the original photograph that inspired the film, one showing the scarred back of a man known as Peter who escaped enslavement.
On the carpet, McFarland told reporters that he curates and owns a collection of photos of African Americans from the 19th century, citing his “love of history.”
“They’ve been so poorly curated, preserved and protected. And so for the last couple of decades I have been seeking out and acquiring as many forgotten and lost photos as possible,” McFarland told The Hollywood Reporter Wednesday. The one that has impacted him the most, he said, is the photograph known as The Scourged Back.
- 12/2/2022
- by Evan Nicole Brown and Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
It’s been six years since the multi-billion dollar 1Mdb corruption scandal — one of the biggest money-laundering frauds in history and one that infiltrated Hollywood when it emerged that stolen Malaysian millions had helped fund The Wolf of Wall Street — erupted.
Since then, the scandal’s central figure Jho Low has gone on the run, the former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has started a 12-year prison term, and the now-shuttered production company behind The Wolf of Wall Street, Red Granite (co-founded by Razak’s stepson Riza Aziz and Emancipation producer Joey McFarland), has paid the Department of Justice a settlement of 60 million, 57 million of which was later sent back to Malaysia.
For Bradley Hope and Tom Wright, the two Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporters who helped bring to light much of the corruption (and were Pulitzer Prize-nominated for their work), the past...
It’s been six years since the multi-billion dollar 1Mdb corruption scandal — one of the biggest money-laundering frauds in history and one that infiltrated Hollywood when it emerged that stolen Malaysian millions had helped fund The Wolf of Wall Street — erupted.
Since then, the scandal’s central figure Jho Low has gone on the run, the former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has started a 12-year prison term, and the now-shuttered production company behind The Wolf of Wall Street, Red Granite (co-founded by Razak’s stepson Riza Aziz and Emancipation producer Joey McFarland), has paid the Department of Justice a settlement of 60 million, 57 million of which was later sent back to Malaysia.
For Bradley Hope and Tom Wright, the two Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporters who helped bring to light much of the corruption (and were Pulitzer Prize-nominated for their work), the past...
- 11/2/2022
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Mean Street for this Martin Scorsese picture is Wall Street. His show pushes the hard- R rating to depict the wild life and times of a stock-selling pirate who bilks investors for millions that fuel a ten-year spree of obscene consumption, Bad Boy decadence and absurd levels of sex and drug abuse. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jordan Belfort beautifully, surrounded by a corps of terrific players (including Margot Robbie) given clear characters by Terence Winter and superb direction by Scorsese. The surprise is that the show is not a facile take-down of the American Dream. Screaming greed is the lure and the joke’s on us. Co-starring Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Bernthal, Jon Favreau, Jean Dujardin and Joanna Lumley.
The Wolf of Wall Street
4K Ultra- HD + Digital
Paramount Home Video
2013 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 190 min. / Street Date December 14, 2021 / Available from / 25.99
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill,...
The Wolf of Wall Street
4K Ultra- HD + Digital
Paramount Home Video
2013 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 190 min. / Street Date December 14, 2021 / Available from / 25.99
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill,...
- 12/14/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has been found guilty on seven charges in the fraud and corruption trial related to the 1Mdb Malaysian state investment fund. The verdict is likely to carry a heavy sentence; Razak has vowed to appeal.
The scandal dates back to 2015, when the Pm was accused of embezzling some $700M from the fund. Razak’s stepson Riza Aziz, the co-founder of The Wolf Of Wall Street backer Red Granite Pictures, reached a settlement with the government back in May and was discharged without formally being acquitted on his charges.
Earlier this week, U.S. financier Goldman Sachs also reached a $3Bn settlement with Malaysian authorities for its own role in the corruption. The firm had been accused of misleading investors when helping to raise $6.5Bn for 1Mdb, with much of the money being embezzled. Goldman Sachs called the settlement “an important step” in concluding the matter,...
The scandal dates back to 2015, when the Pm was accused of embezzling some $700M from the fund. Razak’s stepson Riza Aziz, the co-founder of The Wolf Of Wall Street backer Red Granite Pictures, reached a settlement with the government back in May and was discharged without formally being acquitted on his charges.
Earlier this week, U.S. financier Goldman Sachs also reached a $3Bn settlement with Malaysian authorities for its own role in the corruption. The firm had been accused of misleading investors when helping to raise $6.5Bn for 1Mdb, with much of the money being embezzled. Goldman Sachs called the settlement “an important step” in concluding the matter,...
- 7/28/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Money laundering charges against The Wolf Of Wall Street producer Riza Aziz have been dropped by a Malaysian court, in exchange for the return of overseas assets, reportedly worth $107.3M. Aziz is the founder and CEO of Red Granite Pictures and had initially been arrested in July last year over his alleged role in dodgy financing deals linked to the 2013 Hollywood hit. He is also the stepson of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak who was previously arrested.
Per local reports today, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said that the dropping of charges against Aziz does not amount to an acquittal and that they could resurface if he does not honor the terms. Last July, he had been charged with money laundering involving $248M linked to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1Mdb) and had pleaded not guilty.
Under the agreement, Aziz “is required to pay a compound to the government under Section 92 of the Anti-Money Laundering,...
Per local reports today, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said that the dropping of charges against Aziz does not amount to an acquittal and that they could resurface if he does not honor the terms. Last July, he had been charged with money laundering involving $248M linked to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1Mdb) and had pleaded not guilty.
Under the agreement, Aziz “is required to pay a compound to the government under Section 92 of the Anti-Money Laundering,...
- 5/14/2020
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
The real-life fraudster depicted in The Wolf of Wall Street is suing one of the film’s producers for $300 million.
Jordan Belfort, on Thursday, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court that alleged Red Granite Pictures CEO Riza Aziz misled Belfort into signing away the rights to his story by misrepresenting how the production would be funded.
Belfort, 57, who pleaded guilty to securities fraud and money laundering in 1999, sold the rights to his memoir — which became the 2013 movie of the same name directed by Martin Scorsese — and its sequel book, Catching the Wolf of Wall Street, to Red Granite.
Jordan Belfort, on Thursday, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court that alleged Red Granite Pictures CEO Riza Aziz misled Belfort into signing away the rights to his story by misrepresenting how the production would be funded.
Belfort, 57, who pleaded guilty to securities fraud and money laundering in 1999, sold the rights to his memoir — which became the 2013 movie of the same name directed by Martin Scorsese — and its sequel book, Catching the Wolf of Wall Street, to Red Granite.
- 1/24/2020
- by Benjamin VanHoose
- PEOPLE.com
Jordan Belfort, the real-life con-man who was immortalized by Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street,” is suing the film’s producers for fraud and breach of contract. (Via Variety.) Belfort filed a lawsuit to the tune of $300 million in Los Angeles Superior Court against Riza Aziz’s Red Granite Pictures, claiming he was not aware the film was funded by money that was stolen from the Malaysian government.
Aziz is currently facing money-laundering charges related to the raiding of the massive investment fund 1Mdb which was set up by his step father, the disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak. He was arrested on corruption charges in Malaysia in July of last year.
Belfort claims that Red Granite’s embezzlement scandal has negatively affected the rights to his life story, and that he would have never agreed to the contract had he known where the money was coming from.
Aziz is currently facing money-laundering charges related to the raiding of the massive investment fund 1Mdb which was set up by his step father, the disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak. He was arrested on corruption charges in Malaysia in July of last year.
Belfort claims that Red Granite’s embezzlement scandal has negatively affected the rights to his life story, and that he would have never agreed to the contract had he known where the money was coming from.
- 1/24/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Former stockbroker sues scandal-hit production company Red Granite for fraud and breach of contract
Jordan Belfort, the former stockbroker whose story inspired the Martin Scorsese-directed hit The Wolf of Wall Street, is suing the film’s financiers for fraud and breach of contract, and claiming $300m in compensation.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Belfort’s legal action arises directly from the financial scandal surrounding Red Granite, the production company that put up the film’s $100m budget but was subsequently linked to a multimillion-dollar embezzlement in which huge sums were siphoned from 1Mdb, a Malaysian state fund. Riza Aziz, Red Granite’s co-founder and stepson of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, is currently under arrest in Malaysia on money laundering charges.
Jordan Belfort, the former stockbroker whose story inspired the Martin Scorsese-directed hit The Wolf of Wall Street, is suing the film’s financiers for fraud and breach of contract, and claiming $300m in compensation.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Belfort’s legal action arises directly from the financial scandal surrounding Red Granite, the production company that put up the film’s $100m budget but was subsequently linked to a multimillion-dollar embezzlement in which huge sums were siphoned from 1Mdb, a Malaysian state fund. Riza Aziz, Red Granite’s co-founder and stepson of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, is currently under arrest in Malaysia on money laundering charges.
- 1/24/2020
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Jordan Belfort, who served as the inspiration for the hit 2013 film “Wolf of Wall Street,” is suing the production company behind the film for $300 million, saying they lied to him when he first agreed to sell them his rights.
In the lawsuit, Belfort states Red Granite Productions co-founder Riza Aziz represented the company as a “legitimate and legally funded film production company.” Belfort says he relied on that representation when he agreed to make the deal with Red Granite, which eventually released “Wolf of Wall Street” in 2013. The film made over $300 million at the box office.
Belfort alleged that after the film’s release, he learned that Red Granite was not, in fact, “legitimately or legally funded when they acquired Belfort’s rights.” He says he was “blindsided” to learn about the true source of the company’s funding — Aziz has been accused of laundering $248 million into Red Granite — and...
In the lawsuit, Belfort states Red Granite Productions co-founder Riza Aziz represented the company as a “legitimate and legally funded film production company.” Belfort says he relied on that representation when he agreed to make the deal with Red Granite, which eventually released “Wolf of Wall Street” in 2013. The film made over $300 million at the box office.
Belfort alleged that after the film’s release, he learned that Red Granite was not, in fact, “legitimately or legally funded when they acquired Belfort’s rights.” He says he was “blindsided” to learn about the true source of the company’s funding — Aziz has been accused of laundering $248 million into Red Granite — and...
- 1/24/2020
- by Daniel Goldblatt
- The Wrap
The Wolf of Wall Street producer Riza Aziz is set to stand trial in early January in Malaysia on five charges of laundering around $250 million out of the country's scandal-soaked 1Mdb sovereign wealth fund.
Sessions Court Judge Rozina Ayob on Friday set tentative dates of Jan. 6 to 9 and Jan. 13 to 16 for the trial in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, adding another chapter to a tale that has seen the scandal reach from Southeast Asia all the way into Hollywood.
Aziz — the stepson of the now-disgraced former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak — set ...
Sessions Court Judge Rozina Ayob on Friday set tentative dates of Jan. 6 to 9 and Jan. 13 to 16 for the trial in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, adding another chapter to a tale that has seen the scandal reach from Southeast Asia all the way into Hollywood.
Aziz — the stepson of the now-disgraced former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak — set ...
The Wolf of Wall Street producer Riza Aziz is set to stand trial in early January in Malaysia on five charges of laundering around $250 million out of the country's scandal-soaked 1Mdb sovereign wealth fund.
Sessions Court Judge Rozina Ayob on Friday set tentative dates of Jan. 6 to 9 and Jan. 13 to 16 for the trial in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, adding another chapter to a tale that has seen the scandal reach from Southeast Asia all the way into Hollywood.
Aziz — the stepson of the now-disgraced former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak — set ...
Sessions Court Judge Rozina Ayob on Friday set tentative dates of Jan. 6 to 9 and Jan. 13 to 16 for the trial in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, adding another chapter to a tale that has seen the scandal reach from Southeast Asia all the way into Hollywood.
Aziz — the stepson of the now-disgraced former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak — set ...
Immersive theater and alternative cinema experiences have been all the rage in recent years thanks to canny producers such as Punchdrunk and Secret Cinema. The latest buzzed-about production in this space is based on a familiar Hollywood movie.
UK immersive theater experience The Wolf Of Wall Street will take place in a 2000 sq metre property in London’s financial district, it was revealed today.
The show, which is due to world-premiere this fall, will take place in a Liverpool Street location spanning four floors and 25 rooms decked out to represent the world of infamous 1990s New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort, whose flamboyant life was depicted by Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s movie The Wolf Of Wall Street.
A cast of 16 will play multiple characters as featured in Belfort’s memoirs, from his Stratton Oakmont players to the FBI, placing audiences into a world of greed, power and excess.
Producers...
UK immersive theater experience The Wolf Of Wall Street will take place in a 2000 sq metre property in London’s financial district, it was revealed today.
The show, which is due to world-premiere this fall, will take place in a Liverpool Street location spanning four floors and 25 rooms decked out to represent the world of infamous 1990s New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort, whose flamboyant life was depicted by Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s movie The Wolf Of Wall Street.
A cast of 16 will play multiple characters as featured in Belfort’s memoirs, from his Stratton Oakmont players to the FBI, placing audiences into a world of greed, power and excess.
Producers...
- 7/16/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Riza Aziz, founder and CEO of Red Granite Pictures and the stepson of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, has pleaded not guilty to laundering $248 million from a state investment fund.
Aziz, 42, entered his plea Friday and was released on bail, according to The Associated Press.
He was arrested a day earlier in Malaysia following allegations of looting a massive investment fund set up by his step father.
Aziz was charged with five counts of money laundering and faces up to five years in prison, if convicted. He is the third person in his family charged in the 1Mdb scandal that helped end Najib’s government last year.
Last year, a government task force said Najib’s arrest was connected to a suspicious multi-million-dollar transfer into his bank account from Src International, a former subsidiary of the fund known as 1Mdb. Riza was also questioned in the case.
1Mdb is the fund U.
Aziz, 42, entered his plea Friday and was released on bail, according to The Associated Press.
He was arrested a day earlier in Malaysia following allegations of looting a massive investment fund set up by his step father.
Aziz was charged with five counts of money laundering and faces up to five years in prison, if convicted. He is the third person in his family charged in the 1Mdb scandal that helped end Najib’s government last year.
Last year, a government task force said Najib’s arrest was connected to a suspicious multi-million-dollar transfer into his bank account from Src International, a former subsidiary of the fund known as 1Mdb. Riza was also questioned in the case.
1Mdb is the fund U.
- 7/7/2019
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
“Wolf of Wall Street” producer Riza Aziz was formally charged on Friday in Malaysia on five counts of money laundering. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission alleges that he handled $248 million of funds stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad.
Aziz had been arrested on Thursday by the MACC, notified of the pending charges and released on bail. He appeared at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur early Friday morning, with an eight-person defense team, and pleaded not guilty to all five charges. He was released on bail of $240,000 (RM1 million) and ordered to surrender his passport. Aziz told the court he has no currently valid passport.
Each of the charges are punishable with a fine of up to $1.21 million (RM5 million) or a jail term of up to five-years, or both. If punishments were ordered to be served consecutively, Aziz could face 25 years in prison.
The 1MDB fund was set up at the...
Aziz had been arrested on Thursday by the MACC, notified of the pending charges and released on bail. He appeared at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur early Friday morning, with an eight-person defense team, and pleaded not guilty to all five charges. He was released on bail of $240,000 (RM1 million) and ordered to surrender his passport. Aziz told the court he has no currently valid passport.
Each of the charges are punishable with a fine of up to $1.21 million (RM5 million) or a jail term of up to five-years, or both. If punishments were ordered to be served consecutively, Aziz could face 25 years in prison.
The 1MDB fund was set up at the...
- 7/5/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
In an ongoing case of life imitating art, Malaysian prosecutors on Friday charged Riza Aziz, co-founder of the Hollywood production company behind The Wolf of Wall Street, with five counts of money laundering.
Aziz pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is alleged to have received $248 million in illicit money from 1Malaysia Development Bhd, or 1Mdb, the state investment fund established by his stepfather, disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak. Each of the five charges against him are punishable with a five-year prison term and a fine of 5 million Malaysian ringgit ($1.2 million).
Prosecutors alleged that the ...
Aziz pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is alleged to have received $248 million in illicit money from 1Malaysia Development Bhd, or 1Mdb, the state investment fund established by his stepfather, disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak. Each of the five charges against him are punishable with a five-year prison term and a fine of 5 million Malaysian ringgit ($1.2 million).
Prosecutors alleged that the ...
In an ongoing case of life imitating art, Malaysian prosecutors on Friday charged Riza Aziz, co-founder of the Hollywood production company behind The Wolf of Wall Street, with five counts of money laundering.
Aziz pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is alleged to have received $248 million in illicit money from 1Malaysia Development Bhd, or 1Mdb, the state investment fund established by his stepfather, disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak. Each of the five charges against him are punishable with a five-year prison term and a fine of 5 million Malaysian ringgit ($1.2 million).
Prosecutors alleged that the ...
Aziz pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is alleged to have received $248 million in illicit money from 1Malaysia Development Bhd, or 1Mdb, the state investment fund established by his stepfather, disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak. Each of the five charges against him are punishable with a five-year prison term and a fine of 5 million Malaysian ringgit ($1.2 million).
Prosecutors alleged that the ...
Riza Aziz, a producer on Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street,” has been arrested in Malaysia on charges of money-laundering. (Via the New York Times.) Aziz faces charges related to the raiding of a massive investment fund set up by his step father, the former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak.
Riza is co-founder, with Joey McFarland, of Red Granite Pictures. In addition to financing “Wolf” in 2013, the West Hollywood-based production and distribution company is responsible for films such as “Friends With Kids,” “Out of the Furnace,” “Dumb and Dumber To,” “Daddy’s Home,” and “Papillon.”
According to Variety, Aziz was apprehended by Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (MacC) around midday local time. Shortly thereafter, he was released on bail. He is expected to appear in court Friday in Kuala Lumpur, the capital, to face formal charges.
Riza’s mother, stepfather and longtime friend Low Taek Jho (Aka Jho Low...
Riza is co-founder, with Joey McFarland, of Red Granite Pictures. In addition to financing “Wolf” in 2013, the West Hollywood-based production and distribution company is responsible for films such as “Friends With Kids,” “Out of the Furnace,” “Dumb and Dumber To,” “Daddy’s Home,” and “Papillon.”
According to Variety, Aziz was apprehended by Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (MacC) around midday local time. Shortly thereafter, he was released on bail. He is expected to appear in court Friday in Kuala Lumpur, the capital, to face formal charges.
Riza’s mother, stepfather and longtime friend Low Taek Jho (Aka Jho Low...
- 7/4/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Almost a year to the day that former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was arrested by anti-corruption investigators over his alleged role in dodgy financing deals linked to 2013 Hollywood hit The Wolf Of Wall Street and others, his stepson Riza Aziz has now been arrested. Riza, the founder and CEO of Red Granite Pictures, was detained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission this afternoon local time, according to the Malay Mail.
Although he was released later on bail, Riza is due in court tomorrow to face charges under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
Per local reports, Riza is expected to be charged as the owner of Red Granite Pictures for receiving laundered money from Good Star Ltd, a company associated with fugitive financier Low Taek Jho.
Last year, a government task force said Najib’s arrest was connected to a suspicious multi-million-dollar transfer into his bank account from Src International,...
Although he was released later on bail, Riza is due in court tomorrow to face charges under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
Per local reports, Riza is expected to be charged as the owner of Red Granite Pictures for receiving laundered money from Good Star Ltd, a company associated with fugitive financier Low Taek Jho.
Last year, a government task force said Najib’s arrest was connected to a suspicious multi-million-dollar transfer into his bank account from Src International,...
- 7/4/2019
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Riza Aziz, a Hollywood producer whose credits include Martin Scorsese’s “Wolf of Wall Street” and the Will Ferrell comedy “Daddy’s Home,” was arrested in Malaysia on Thursday to face money-laundering charges, the Financial Times reported.
Aziz, the stepson of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, is due in court on Friday in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission head Latheefa Koya told the New York Times.
An attorney for Aziz did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Aziz has been embroiled in a long-running scandal involving the disappearance of up to $4.5 billion from a government investment fund called 1Malaysia Development Berhad that was controlled by Razak, who was defeated at the polls last year in the wake of the news.
In addition to the new charges against Aziz, his...
Aziz, the stepson of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, is due in court on Friday in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission head Latheefa Koya told the New York Times.
An attorney for Aziz did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Aziz has been embroiled in a long-running scandal involving the disappearance of up to $4.5 billion from a government investment fund called 1Malaysia Development Berhad that was controlled by Razak, who was defeated at the polls last year in the wake of the news.
In addition to the new charges against Aziz, his...
- 7/4/2019
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Riza Aziz, producer of “The Wolf of Wall Street,” was arrested Thursday in Malaysia in connection with the looting of a massive investment fund set up by his step father and former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak.
Aziz was picked up by Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (MacC) around midday local time. He was released shortly afterwards on bail and is expected to appear in court on Friday to face formal charges.
Aziz was a co-founder of Red Granite Pictures, which produced the Martin Scorsese-directed “Wolf” in 2013. It also co-produced “Dumb and Dumberer To” and “Daddy’s Home.”
MacC is expected to allege that Red Granite receiving laundered money from Good Star, a company associated with fugitive financier Low Taek Jho (aka Jho Lo) and the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1Mdb). Low was thanked on the opening credits of “Wolf.”
In May, Red Granite forfeited $57 million which was returned to...
Aziz was picked up by Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (MacC) around midday local time. He was released shortly afterwards on bail and is expected to appear in court on Friday to face formal charges.
Aziz was a co-founder of Red Granite Pictures, which produced the Martin Scorsese-directed “Wolf” in 2013. It also co-produced “Dumb and Dumberer To” and “Daddy’s Home.”
MacC is expected to allege that Red Granite receiving laundered money from Good Star, a company associated with fugitive financier Low Taek Jho (aka Jho Lo) and the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1Mdb). Low was thanked on the opening credits of “Wolf.”
In May, Red Granite forfeited $57 million which was returned to...
- 7/4/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: A feature film will be made about the finance scandal that saw mysterious moneyman Jho Low vanish along with an estimated $5 billion from the Malaysian treasury after he and associates blazed a trail of excess in Hollywood, leading the Malaysian prime minister to exit in scandal and Goldman Sachs facing fraud charges that reportedly constitute the financial giant’s biggest scandal since the 2008 financial meltdown.
Ivanhoe Pictures has acquired the movie rights to Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood And The World, a bestseller written about the massive financial fraud scheme by Wall Street Journal investigative reporters Tom Wright and Bradley Hope. Ivanhoe president/CEO John Penotti is among the producers as is Michelle Yeoh. They teamed on Crazy Rich Asians.
Yeoh is a symbol of class in Malaysia, which cannot be said for many of the characters who’ll be depicted in this film.
Ivanhoe Pictures has acquired the movie rights to Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood And The World, a bestseller written about the massive financial fraud scheme by Wall Street Journal investigative reporters Tom Wright and Bradley Hope. Ivanhoe president/CEO John Penotti is among the producers as is Michelle Yeoh. They teamed on Crazy Rich Asians.
Yeoh is a symbol of class in Malaysia, which cannot be said for many of the characters who’ll be depicted in this film.
- 11/7/2018
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: UK sales outfit Dogwoof has picked up world sales rights to doc The Kleptocrats about the scandal surrounding the Malaysian wealth fund 1Mdb, whose embezzlement sparked a major international corruption investigation and was linked by U.S. authorities to the funding of Red Granite movies including The Wolf Of Wall Street.
Directed by Sam Hobkinson (The Vatican: Saints) and Havana Marking (Afghan Star) and written by investigative journalist Louise Story with Hobkinson and Marking, the film will gets its world premiere next month at Doc NYC. Dogwoof will be selling at Mip and Afm. Mike Lerner (Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer) produces for Roast Beef Productions, executive producers are philanthropist Alex Soros, Louise Story, Mike Lerner and Anna Godas for Dogwoof.
Pic will chart the ongoing, major white-collar crime investigation which has uncovered government corruption at the highest level in Malaysia and pointed towards international money laundering. The film...
Directed by Sam Hobkinson (The Vatican: Saints) and Havana Marking (Afghan Star) and written by investigative journalist Louise Story with Hobkinson and Marking, the film will gets its world premiere next month at Doc NYC. Dogwoof will be selling at Mip and Afm. Mike Lerner (Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer) produces for Roast Beef Productions, executive producers are philanthropist Alex Soros, Louise Story, Mike Lerner and Anna Godas for Dogwoof.
Pic will chart the ongoing, major white-collar crime investigation which has uncovered government corruption at the highest level in Malaysia and pointed towards international money laundering. The film...
- 10/12/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Rosmah Mansor, the former Malaysian first lady and the mother of Riza Aziz, the founder of Red Granite Pictures and producer of The Wolf of Wall Street, has been charged with 17 offenses — including money laundering — as part of ongoing investigations into Malaysia's multibillion-dollar 1Mdb corruption scandal.
The 66-year-old — dubbed the "Imelda Marcos of Malaysia" for her vast collection of designer handbags and jewelry — was arrested Wednesday by anti-graft authorities and charged Thursday. She pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Should she be convicted of money laundering, Rosmah could face up ...
The 66-year-old — dubbed the "Imelda Marcos of Malaysia" for her vast collection of designer handbags and jewelry — was arrested Wednesday by anti-graft authorities and charged Thursday. She pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Should she be convicted of money laundering, Rosmah could face up ...
- 10/4/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Rosmah Mansor, the former Malaysian first lady and the mother of Riza Aziz, the founder of Red Granite Pictures and producer of The Wolf of Wall Street, has been charged with 17 offenses — including money laundering — as part of ongoing investigations into Malaysia's multibillion-dollar 1Mdb corruption scandal.
The 66-year-old — dubbed the "Imelda Marcos of Malaysia" for her vast collection of designer handbags and jewelry — was arrested Wednesday by anti-graft authorities and charged Thursday. She pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Should she be convicted of money laundering, Rosmah could face up ...
The 66-year-old — dubbed the "Imelda Marcos of Malaysia" for her vast collection of designer handbags and jewelry — was arrested Wednesday by anti-graft authorities and charged Thursday. She pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Should she be convicted of money laundering, Rosmah could face up ...
- 10/4/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Red Granite Pictures has paid off the balance of its $60 million settlement with the U.S. government, bringing an early end to its involvement in a $4.5 billion Malaysian corruption case.
The production company behind “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Daddy’s Home” reached a deal with federal prosecutors in March. Under the agreement, the company did not admit wrongdoing and promised to pay the settlement amount in three installments over the course of nearly a year. The company has now paid the final installment four months ahead of schedule, officially ending the case.
“Red Granite paid its obligation to the government in full,” they said in a statement. “The company is pleased to put this matter behind it.”
Red Granite was accused of using more than $100 million embezzled from 1Mdb, a Malaysian development fund. The 1Mdb scandal led to the downfall of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was recently...
The production company behind “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Daddy’s Home” reached a deal with federal prosecutors in March. Under the agreement, the company did not admit wrongdoing and promised to pay the settlement amount in three installments over the course of nearly a year. The company has now paid the final installment four months ahead of schedule, officially ending the case.
“Red Granite paid its obligation to the government in full,” they said in a statement. “The company is pleased to put this matter behind it.”
Red Granite was accused of using more than $100 million embezzled from 1Mdb, a Malaysian development fund. The 1Mdb scandal led to the downfall of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was recently...
- 9/24/2018
- by Brent Lang and Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has been arrested by anti-corruption investigators and will be charged over his alleged role in the multi-billion-dollar embezzlement of a state investment fund linked to the financing of 2013 Hollywood hit The Wolf Of Wall Street.
A government task force said Najib’s arrest was connected to a suspicious multi-million-dollar transfer into his bank account from Src International, a former subsidiary of the fund known as 1Mdb.
The news of Razak’s arrest comes on the same day his stepson Riza Aziz, founder and CEO of The Wolf Of Wall Street producer Red Granite, was also questioned by the same Malaysian authorities.
1Mdb is the fund U.S. investigators have alleged was used to siphon hundreds of millions of dollars into private investments for Najib and his family including the funding of the Martin Scorsese hit and other films on the Red Granite slate. Following the stateside investigation,...
A government task force said Najib’s arrest was connected to a suspicious multi-million-dollar transfer into his bank account from Src International, a former subsidiary of the fund known as 1Mdb.
The news of Razak’s arrest comes on the same day his stepson Riza Aziz, founder and CEO of The Wolf Of Wall Street producer Red Granite, was also questioned by the same Malaysian authorities.
1Mdb is the fund U.S. investigators have alleged was used to siphon hundreds of millions of dollars into private investments for Najib and his family including the funding of the Martin Scorsese hit and other films on the Red Granite slate. Following the stateside investigation,...
- 7/3/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The Wolf of Wall Street producer Riza Aziz has been summoned to appear on Tuesday before the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, according to multiple reports out of the country.
Aziz is CEO of Red Granite Pictures and stepson of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Both Red Granite and Razak have been probed as part of a long-running investigation into potential embezzlement relating to state-run sovereign wealth fund 1Mdb.
In March of this year, Daddy’s Home and Dumb and Dumber To backer Red Granite agreed to forfeit $60 million to the U.S. government as part of a federal investigation involving the Malaysian fund. Aziz and Red Granite have denied wrongdoing.
Financier Low Taek Jho, a friend of Aziz and his family, and who received a “Special Thanks” in the Wolf of Wall Street credits, has been closely scrutinized by the commission and by the U.S. Justice Department. Aziz himself is...
Aziz is CEO of Red Granite Pictures and stepson of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Both Red Granite and Razak have been probed as part of a long-running investigation into potential embezzlement relating to state-run sovereign wealth fund 1Mdb.
In March of this year, Daddy’s Home and Dumb and Dumber To backer Red Granite agreed to forfeit $60 million to the U.S. government as part of a federal investigation involving the Malaysian fund. Aziz and Red Granite have denied wrongdoing.
Financier Low Taek Jho, a friend of Aziz and his family, and who received a “Special Thanks” in the Wolf of Wall Street credits, has been closely scrutinized by the commission and by the U.S. Justice Department. Aziz himself is...
- 7/2/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Riza Aziz, the co-founder of Red Granite Pictures, which famously produced the 2014 hit The Wolf of Wall Street, is expected to be questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on Tuesday, according to numerous media reports in Malaysia.
The 48-year-old stepson of embattled former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, himself a central figure in multibillion-dollar 1Mdb corruption scandal and under investigation since losing power in May, Aziz is alleged to have received $238 million in laundered money from the 1Mdb sovereign wealth fund in 2012, money which — according to the U.S. Justice Department — was used to fund ...
The 48-year-old stepson of embattled former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, himself a central figure in multibillion-dollar 1Mdb corruption scandal and under investigation since losing power in May, Aziz is alleged to have received $238 million in laundered money from the 1Mdb sovereign wealth fund in 2012, money which — according to the U.S. Justice Department — was used to fund ...
Riza Aziz, the co-founder of Red Granite Pictures, which famously produced the 2014 hit The Wolf of Wall Street, is expected to be questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on Tuesday, according to numerous media reports in Malaysia.
The 48-year-old stepson of embattled former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, himself a central figure in multibillion-dollar 1Mdb corruption scandal and under investigation since losing power in May, Aziz is alleged to have received $238 million in laundered money from the 1Mdb sovereign wealth fund in 2012, money which — according to the U.S. Justice Department — was used to fund ...
The 48-year-old stepson of embattled former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, himself a central figure in multibillion-dollar 1Mdb corruption scandal and under investigation since losing power in May, Aziz is alleged to have received $238 million in laundered money from the 1Mdb sovereign wealth fund in 2012, money which — according to the U.S. Justice Department — was used to fund ...
Red Granite Pictures, the producer behind The Wolf of Wall Street, Dumb and Dumber To and other films, has agreed to pay $60 million to the U.S. government in order to settle allegations that it was funded in part by money siphoned from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund called 1 Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1Mdb.
Red Granite was co-founded in 2010 by Riza Aziz, the stepson of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, and Joey McFarland, previously an investor in a talent brokerage company.
Following a lavish launch party in Cannes, the company quickly established itself as major force in the...
Red Granite was co-founded in 2010 by Riza Aziz, the stepson of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, and Joey McFarland, previously an investor in a talent brokerage company.
Following a lavish launch party in Cannes, the company quickly established itself as major force in the...
- 3/7/2018
- by THR Staff,Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Red Granite Pictures and the U.S. government have resolved the civil forfeiture case related to a Malaysian embezzlement investigation, according to a notice of settlement filed in California federal court Friday.
The feds had been seeking seizure of more than $1 billion in assets that were allegedly diverted by high-level Malaysian officials into shell companies, some of which may have been used to fund Red Granite's films. The company is run by CEO Riza Aziz, the stepson of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, and prosecutors believed it received about $100 million of the embezzled funds. A separate civil...
The feds had been seeking seizure of more than $1 billion in assets that were allegedly diverted by high-level Malaysian officials into shell companies, some of which may have been used to fund Red Granite's films. The company is run by CEO Riza Aziz, the stepson of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, and prosecutors believed it received about $100 million of the embezzled funds. A separate civil...
- 9/15/2017
- by Ashley Cullins
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Looks like Leonardo DiCaprio won’t be keeping Marlon Brando’s Oscar after all.
The 42-year-old actor, who won an Academy Award himself for his role in 2016’s The Revenant, was gifted the rare statuette a few years back by production company Red Granite — who helped finance The Wolf of Wall Street and passed Brando’s prize on to him upon that film’s wrapping.
But like DiCaprio’s character in the 2013 Martin Scorsese film, Red Granite has found themselves the target of a government investigation for their alleged involvement in a money-laundering scheme — the Department of Justice asserting that...
The 42-year-old actor, who won an Academy Award himself for his role in 2016’s The Revenant, was gifted the rare statuette a few years back by production company Red Granite — who helped finance The Wolf of Wall Street and passed Brando’s prize on to him upon that film’s wrapping.
But like DiCaprio’s character in the 2013 Martin Scorsese film, Red Granite has found themselves the target of a government investigation for their alleged involvement in a money-laundering scheme — the Department of Justice asserting that...
- 6/16/2017
- by Dave Quinn and Liz McNeil
- PEOPLE.com
In court papers quietly filed this past week, various entities connected to Red Granite Pictures co-founder Riza Aziz are attacking the U.S. government's attempt to seize real estate properties in the huge $1 billion action targeting alleged corruption of Malaysian public funds.
The Justice Department has touted the 1Mdb case as its biggest kleptocracy case to date, but Aziz's lawyer, Matthew Schwartz, a former assistant U.S. attorney who once prosecuted Bernie Madoff, slams the U.S. government for failing to include "essential detail" about the supposed crimes. He's demanding a dismissal.
Aziz is the stepson of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and, along...
The Justice Department has touted the 1Mdb case as its biggest kleptocracy case to date, but Aziz's lawyer, Matthew Schwartz, a former assistant U.S. attorney who once prosecuted Bernie Madoff, slams the U.S. government for failing to include "essential detail" about the supposed crimes. He's demanding a dismissal.
Aziz is the stepson of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and, along...
- 2/16/2017
- by Eriq Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek star in the adventure based on the bestselling 1969 memoir of convicted French felon and fugitive Henri Charriere.
Papillon shot for 51 days in Belgrade, Serbia, as well as various locations in Montenegro and the Mediterranean Film Studioswater tanks in Malta.
Michael Noer directs from a screenplay by Aaron Guzikowski. The story charts Charriere’s escape attempts from the brutal penal colony on French Guiana.
Red Granite’s Joey McFarland, David Koplan and Riza Aziz produce with Ram Bergman and Roger Corbi.
Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman starred in the 1973 version.
Condé Nast Entertainment has hired Bruce Perlmutter as senior vice-president of production to oversee the company’s digital video content. Perlmutter most recently produced BuzzFeed’s live election night coverage, and the Heaven Sent live skydiving event for Fox, Facebook Live and Snapchat. FilmRise has acquired North American rights to Nancy Buirski’s documentary By Sidney Lumet. The film premiered...
Papillon shot for 51 days in Belgrade, Serbia, as well as various locations in Montenegro and the Mediterranean Film Studioswater tanks in Malta.
Michael Noer directs from a screenplay by Aaron Guzikowski. The story charts Charriere’s escape attempts from the brutal penal colony on French Guiana.
Red Granite’s Joey McFarland, David Koplan and Riza Aziz produce with Ram Bergman and Roger Corbi.
Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman starred in the 1973 version.
Condé Nast Entertainment has hired Bruce Perlmutter as senior vice-president of production to oversee the company’s digital video content. Perlmutter most recently produced BuzzFeed’s live election night coverage, and the Heaven Sent live skydiving event for Fox, Facebook Live and Snapchat. FilmRise has acquired North American rights to Nancy Buirski’s documentary By Sidney Lumet. The film premiered...
- 12/5/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, the charitable initiative formed by the Oscar-winning actor which has raised millions of dollars for global environmental causes, has lately been ensnared in the Department of Justice investigation into a Malaysian fund allegedly used by co-financier Red Granite to fund The Wolf of Wall Street, which DiCaprio starred in and produced. The Doj has been looking into whether that money came to businessman Jho Low and Riza Aziz through the…...
- 10/18/2016
- Deadline
A rainforest preservation charity has called upon Leonardo DiCaprio to step down from his role as a Un Messenger of Peace for climate change unless he cuts ties with Red Granite co-founder Riza Aziz and Malaysian financier Jho How, who are linked to an international money laundering scheme. Speaking at a press conference in London, Lukas Straumann, director of Switzerland-based charity Bruno Manser fund said that DiCaprio had "consistently refused" to explain his ties…...
- 10/14/2016
- Deadline
Leonardo DiCaprio has been urged to pay back all funds he and his environment-focused foundation allegedly received from individuals accused of embezzling money from a vast Malaysian fund amid a sweeping corruption probe. In a letter to the Oscar-winning actor, Bruno Manser Fund, a Swiss-based rainforest charity, asks DiCaprio to disclose any funds he may have received from Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's stepson Riza Aziz, his associates Jho Low and Tan Kim Loong as well as Aziz's production company Red Granite Pictures, which financed DiCaprio's 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street. Although there is no link between...
- 8/30/2016
- by Stephanie Petit, @stephpetit_
- PEOPLE.com
Leonardo DiCaprio has been urged to pay back all funds he and his environment-focused foundation allegedly received from individuals accused of embezzling money from a vast Malaysian fund amid a sweeping corruption probe. In a letter to the Oscar-winning actor, Bruno Manser Fund, a Swiss-based rainforest charity, asks DiCaprio to disclose any funds he may have received from Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's stepson Riza Aziz, his associates Jho Low and Tan Kim Loong as well as Aziz's production company Red Granite Pictures, which financed DiCaprio's 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street. Although there is no link between...
- 8/30/2016
- by Stephanie Petit, @stephpetit_
- PEOPLE.com
Red Granite Pictures, currently under a cloud thanks to an ongoing federal investigation as well as asset forfeiture actions, will now be in court directly with Malaysian citizens. On Thursday, a putative class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court. Matthias Chang, a former political secretary in the country, and Husa Musa, currently a state assembly member, is leading a racketeering lawsuit against Red Granite, its principles Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland, as well as others like Low Jho and Goldman Sachs Group being tied to the alleged misappropriation of assets once held by Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berdhard
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- 8/12/2016
- by Eriq Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Authorities in Singapore and Switzerland have seized assets connected to Malaysian businessman Jho Low. He is at the center of yesterday’s Department of Justice filing that also alleges Red Granite, a company that Low helped to finance through his alleged friendship with Riza Aziz, was used to launder funds illegally stolen from the 1Mdb Malaysian investment fund. Among the assets seized today were a $35 million Monet painting. The seizures come a day after the Doj filed…...
- 7/21/2016
- Deadline
The financier-producer has issued a statement professing its ignorance over allegations that laundered Malaysian money was used to fund The Wolf Of Wall Street.
The Us Department Of Justice (DoJ) on Wednesday brought a civil action against Red Granite in a bid to seize company assets.
The government suit includes the allegation that the company used money that was diverted from a Malaysian state development fund as part of a money-laundering scheme to finance Martin Scorsese’s multi-Oscar nominee The Wolf Of Wall Street.
The filing with the Us District Court for the Central District of California alleged that over the course of four years from approximately 2009 to “at least” 2013, individuals conspired to divert billions of dollars from the fund, which was “ostensibly created to pursue investment and development projects for the economic benefit of Malaysia and its people [.]”
The DoJ is seeking to seize a number of property assets it claims were “… involved in and traceable...
The Us Department Of Justice (DoJ) on Wednesday brought a civil action against Red Granite in a bid to seize company assets.
The government suit includes the allegation that the company used money that was diverted from a Malaysian state development fund as part of a money-laundering scheme to finance Martin Scorsese’s multi-Oscar nominee The Wolf Of Wall Street.
The filing with the Us District Court for the Central District of California alleged that over the course of four years from approximately 2009 to “at least” 2013, individuals conspired to divert billions of dollars from the fund, which was “ostensibly created to pursue investment and development projects for the economic benefit of Malaysia and its people [.]”
The DoJ is seeking to seize a number of property assets it claims were “… involved in and traceable...
- 7/21/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Update with Red Granite statement: “To Red Granite's knowledge, none of the funding it received four years ago was in any way illegitimate and there is nothing in today's civil lawsuit claiming that Red Granite knew otherwise. Red Granite continues to cooperate fully with all inquiries and is confident that when the facts come out, it will be clear that Riza Aziz and Red Granite did nothing wrong. Red Granite does not expect the lawsuit – which is limited to future…...
- 7/20/2016
- Deadline
Cannes might be in competition with itself this year when it comes to on-screen drama versus off-screen. While titles like Woody Allen‘s “Cafe Society” and Jodie Foster‘s “Money Monster” shuffle out slowly and without critical thunder, scandal has been brewing in the scenic South of France — one that reads like a script being shopped at the international film market. Riza Aziz, the co-founder of Red Granite Pictures and stepson of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, is at the center of embezzlement allegations in light of reports that money from a state investment company was used to purchase lavish properties in New York.
- 5/13/2016
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Charlie Hunnam stars in the re-telling of the 1973 classic.
Red Granite International’s Danny Dimbort and Christian Mercuri have begun sales here on Papillon starring Charlie Hunnam.
The film is styled as a contemporary and gritty re-telling of Franklin J. Schaffner’s 1973 classic that starred Steve McQueen as Henri Charrière, a petty criminal sent to the notorious Devil’s Island penal colony in French Guiana after he is unjustly convicted of murder.
Charrière befriends a counterfeiter who offers to fund his escape in return for protection.
Danish director Michael Noer is lining up to start production outside the Us this summer from a script by Aaron Guzikowski. CAA represents Us rights to the classic adventure story.
Riza Aziz, Joey McFarland, Ram Bergman and Roger Corbi produce, while Dimbort and Mercuri are among the executive producers with David Koplan, Yan-Fischer-Romanovsky, Joshua D. Mauer, Terrence Chang and Martin Hellstern.
Red Granite International’s Danny Dimbort and Christian Mercuri have begun sales here on Papillon starring Charlie Hunnam.
The film is styled as a contemporary and gritty re-telling of Franklin J. Schaffner’s 1973 classic that starred Steve McQueen as Henri Charrière, a petty criminal sent to the notorious Devil’s Island penal colony in French Guiana after he is unjustly convicted of murder.
Charrière befriends a counterfeiter who offers to fund his escape in return for protection.
Danish director Michael Noer is lining up to start production outside the Us this summer from a script by Aaron Guzikowski. CAA represents Us rights to the classic adventure story.
Riza Aziz, Joey McFarland, Ram Bergman and Roger Corbi produce, while Dimbort and Mercuri are among the executive producers with David Koplan, Yan-Fischer-Romanovsky, Joshua D. Mauer, Terrence Chang and Martin Hellstern.
- 5/12/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
"Sons of Anarchy" star Charlie Hunnam is in talks to take on the role made famous by Steve McQueen in a remake of the legendary 1973 prison escape drama "Papillon" for Red Granite.
McQueen played a man unjustly convicted of murder in 1930s France and condemned to life in a South American prison. He plots his escape, aided by a counterfeiter (Dustin Hoffman) who finances prison escapes in exchange for protection. Dalton Trumbo and Lorenzo Semple Jr. penned the Franklin J Schaffner-directed original.
Danish director Michael Noer is attached to helm the remake from a script by "Prisoners" scribe Aaron Guzikowski. Riza Aziz, Joey McFarland, Ram Bergman and Roger Corbi will produce and filming will begin this Fall.
Hunnam has completed shooting both Guy Ritchie's "King Arthur: Knights Of The Roundtable" and James Gray's "Lost City of Z".
Source: Deadline...
McQueen played a man unjustly convicted of murder in 1930s France and condemned to life in a South American prison. He plots his escape, aided by a counterfeiter (Dustin Hoffman) who finances prison escapes in exchange for protection. Dalton Trumbo and Lorenzo Semple Jr. penned the Franklin J Schaffner-directed original.
Danish director Michael Noer is attached to helm the remake from a script by "Prisoners" scribe Aaron Guzikowski. Riza Aziz, Joey McFarland, Ram Bergman and Roger Corbi will produce and filming will begin this Fall.
Hunnam has completed shooting both Guy Ritchie's "King Arthur: Knights Of The Roundtable" and James Gray's "Lost City of Z".
Source: Deadline...
- 5/4/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Sorry Zack Snyder, looks like Martin Scorsese has beaten you to your dream project.
The "Goodfellas" and "The Departed" helmer is reportedly in early talks to direct the gritty George Washington biopic "The General" for Red Granite Pictures according to The Tracking Board.
Said to have a tone akin to "Unforgiven," the story centers around General George Washington, who must lead a dying army to fend off a band of brutal mercenaries during the Revolutionary War.
"Assassin's Creed" writers Adam Cooper and Bill Collage have penned the script while Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland are producing. Darren Aronofsky was previously attached to direct and produce through his Protozoa Pictures back in 2012 but is no longer attached.
Scorsese previously worked with Red Granite on "The Wolf of Wall Street", and his latest film "Silence" opens later this year. He remains attached to three long-gestating projects, most notably the film adaptation of...
The "Goodfellas" and "The Departed" helmer is reportedly in early talks to direct the gritty George Washington biopic "The General" for Red Granite Pictures according to The Tracking Board.
Said to have a tone akin to "Unforgiven," the story centers around General George Washington, who must lead a dying army to fend off a band of brutal mercenaries during the Revolutionary War.
"Assassin's Creed" writers Adam Cooper and Bill Collage have penned the script while Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland are producing. Darren Aronofsky was previously attached to direct and produce through his Protozoa Pictures back in 2012 but is no longer attached.
Scorsese previously worked with Red Granite on "The Wolf of Wall Street", and his latest film "Silence" opens later this year. He remains attached to three long-gestating projects, most notably the film adaptation of...
- 4/28/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
"Wolf of Wall Street" producer Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland are developing a remake of the 1973 prison drama "Papillon" that starred Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. Aaron Guzikowski, who wrote Denis Villeneuve's 2013 thriller "Prisoners," wrote the script. The remake will be directed by Danish helmer Michael Noer (R, Northwest). The original "Papillon" was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and based on the autobiography by the French convict Henri Charriere. McQueen played a criminal who is unjustly convicted of murder in 1930s France and condemned to life in a South American prison. Hoffman played a counterfeiter who agrees to finance Papillon's prison escapes in exchange for protection in prison.
- 10/9/2015
- WorstPreviews.com
Red Granite is developing a remake of the classic 1973 Steve McQueen prison drama "Papillon".
Based on the autobiography by the French convict Henri Charriere and the final screenplay of acclaimed writer Dalton Trumbo, McQueen played a criminal who is unjustly convicted of murder in 1930s France and condemned to life in a South American prison.
Dustin Hoffman played a counterfeiter who agrees to finance Papillon's prison escapes in exchange for protection in prison. Danish director Michael Noer is attached to helm the remake from a script by Aaron Guzikowski ("Prisoners").
Riza Aziz, Joey McFarland, Ram Bergman and Roger Corbi will produce.
Source: Variety...
Based on the autobiography by the French convict Henri Charriere and the final screenplay of acclaimed writer Dalton Trumbo, McQueen played a criminal who is unjustly convicted of murder in 1930s France and condemned to life in a South American prison.
Dustin Hoffman played a counterfeiter who agrees to finance Papillon's prison escapes in exchange for protection in prison. Danish director Michael Noer is attached to helm the remake from a script by Aaron Guzikowski ("Prisoners").
Riza Aziz, Joey McFarland, Ram Bergman and Roger Corbi will produce.
Source: Variety...
- 10/8/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
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