New Production Company To Focus on Values

A group of private investors has created American Saga Prods. to bankroll as many as five long-form projects a year "portraying the best in America," according to a report in Variety.

American Saga is owned by parent company Sentinel America, which lists among its goals the desire "to help fulfill the yearning of American citizens to once again enjoy the stability and peace of mind reflected by a society rooted in the traditional values and standards ... upon which our nation was founded and has flourished."

First on the new company's agenda will be "The Line," a four-hour thriller about violence along the American-Mexican border, with Robert Duvall to star and direct.

Also on board to help guide American Saga are Nick Grillo, who was a top production executive for Neufeld/Rehme on movies including "The Hunt for Red October" and "Clear and Present Danger," and Jerry Offsay, who was the president of programming for Showtime for 10 years and now runs Parkchester Pictures.

Instead of asking for a license fee from the broadcast or cable network that ends up carrying "The Line," American Saga will cover its production costs by taking a share of the advertising revenues from the subsequent network run and by distributing the film to foreign TV and DVD outlets.

The company's goal is to finance five projects a year, none longer than four hours, at production costs that range from a low of $12 million to as high as $25 million for historical epics.