Seven Arts premieres Deal in Vegas and signs theatrical distribution pact with MGM for Burt Reynolds, Shannon Elizabeth film

Seven Arts Pictures premiered its movie Deal directed by Gil Cates, Jr. Thursday night in Las Vegas at the Palm Hotel’s Brandon Theater. The film is set against the world of high stakes poker and stars Burt Reynolds (Boogie Nights, The Longest Yard), Bret Harrison (“Orange County”) and Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie). Burt Reynolds plays a reformed gambler and world class poker player who meets up with a hot-shot, card playing college student, and teaches him how to “play the player”, and not the cards. After a falling out, the aging pro returns to the game he left thirty years ago and now must face his protégé in the finals of the world series of poker.

Seven Arts further announced that it signed a U.S. theatrical distribution agreement in April with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, one of the seven American major studios, to distribute Deal. The agreement will see Deal released in movie theatres in major markets across the United States.

Peter Hoffman, CEO of Seven Arts Pictures, commented on the agreement with MGM, “This agreement will give Seven Arts access, not only to MGM′s vast theatrical distribution, but also to their important DVD and television distribution. We are confident that this picture has the hallmarks of a theatrical success and will have the longevity that will create long term value for Seven Arts in years to come with continued strong performance on television and DVD.”

Seven Arts Pictures was founded in 2002 as an independent motion picture production and distribution company engaged in the development, acquisition, financing, production, and licensing of theatrical motion pictures for exhibition in domestic and foreign theatrical markets, and for subsequent worldwide release in other forms of media, including home video and pay and free television.