BITESIZE ENTERTAINMENT HEADS TO GRACELAND FOR NEW ELVIS PRESLEY PROJECT
Film To Focus on Faith Aspects of Elvis’s Life
NEWS SOURCE: Rogers & Cowan
Los Angeles, CA – August 28, 2012 — It was announced today that BiteSize Entertainment, the new vertically integrated, multi-platform entertainment studio run by Ron Bloom, has optioned the rights to bestselling author David E. Stanley and Dr. David Gruder’s book Conversations with the King: Journals of a Young Apprentice and will adapt the book into a family friendly movie titled “Growing Up Graceland,” focusing on the sparsely documented faith and spirit of Elvis Presley.
The film will be produced through BiteSize’s feature film production arm, led by Academy Award® winning producer Gene Kirkwood (“Rocky,” “New York, New York,” “The Pope of Greenwich Village,” “Gorky Park”) and Ross Elliot.
“Growing Up Graceland” will be based on David Stanley’s seventeen-year spiritual journey with his stepbrother and mentor Elvis Presley. Stanley moved into Graceland when he was four-years old and Presley quickly became his father figure and mentor. Growing up to become one of Presley’s most trusted aides, Stanley witnessed Presley’s extraordinary behind-the-scenes gifts that few ever talked about. He was also one of the only people Elvis confided in about his spiritual search for meaning during the final years of his life.
Said Kirkwood, “Our goal remains to have a diversified film slate that crosses several genres. ‘Growing Up Graceland’ will be a positive, uplifting account of Elvis Presley’s life outside the public glare and a film that will really appeal to a faith and family audience. After meeting David Stanley, reading his book and listening to his stories, I was immediately convinced this story could live on the big screen.”
“The new archetype of spiritual development that emerged in the 20th century may be Elvis’ biggest legacy of all; arguably greater than his enduring popularity as an entertainer,” said Stanley.
Kirkwood is executive producing the upcoming Nina Simone biopic, directed by Cynthia Mort and starring Zoe Saldana.
About Bite Size Entertainment
Launched in Cannes, BiteSize Entertainment is a vertically integrated, multi-platform entertainment studio run by CEO Ron Bloom. Gene Kirkwood and producing partner Ross Elliot folded their Kirkwood-Elliot Productions banner into BiteSize Entertainment to serve as the exclusive feature film production arm of the new company, providing a pipeline of commercial movies for wide theatrical release.
BiteSize Entertainment is focusing on building the definitive brand in global entertainment, with franchises that extend across all formats from short form to feature length programming.
The company is based in Los Angeles, with satellite production offices in New York, Miami, and London and a technology center in San Francisco. Its new state-of-the-art studio on Hollywood Blvd, in the heart of Hollywood, is currently being constructed.
For more information please visit http://www.bitesizenetworks.com/
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