StarCitizen:Ascendant Pictures
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Ascendant Pictures was a film development, production, finance and foreign distribution company co-founded by StarCitizen:Chris Roberts and where Ortwin Freyermouth was Production Counsel.
History
Chris Roberts co-founded Ascendant Pictures in March of 2002, not long after he left StarCitizen:Digital Anvil following its sale to Microsoft and after the subsequent creation of StarCitizen:Point of No Return Entertainment.
Chris Roberts was a producer for among others Edison, Timber Falls, Outlander, Who's Your Caddy?, The Big White, Ask the Dust, Lucky Number Slevin and Lord of War as well as The Punisher TV serie.<ref>The Punisher credits, imdb</ref><ref>Ascendant Pictures on imdb</ref>
StarCitizen:John Schimmel was president of production.<ref>John Schimmel - Screenwriting, Behind Enemy Lines, Connie Martinson, YouTube, 25 févr. 2014</ref>
Ascendant Pictures had 20% first money in, last money out.<ref>Star Citizen Live: Talkin' VFX, Star Citizen, YouTube, 3 mars 2023</ref>
Kevin Costner sued Ascendant Pictures at the end of 2005, claiming it reneged on a deal to pay him $8 million to act in a comedy. however Ascendant Pictures denied wrongdoing and the suit was settled.<ref>Oscar winner Sues Production Company, LawyersAndSettlements, Mar-6-08, archived</ref><ref>Kevin Costner settles over failed film, Los Angeles Daily News, 03/05/08, archived</ref>
Ascendant Pictures used the German investment fund VIP Medienfonds which turned out to use a tax scheme to raise US$920 million over time from thousands of German investors to bankroll various productions including Hollywood movies. in 2006 the German government stopped the practice, and the fund’s founder Andreas Schmid was sentenced to six years in jail for tax fraud. Chris Roberts and Ortwin Freyermuth were not implicated.<ref>Hollywood’s Big Loss, Slate, Nov 21, 2005</ref><ref>Schmid found guilty of tax fraud, Variety, Nov 13, 2007</ref>
Chris Roberts sold Ascendant Pictures in 2010 to Bigfoot Entertainment.<ref>Bigfoot Entertainment Acquires Ascendant Pictures, press release, Bigfoot Entertainment, July 6, 2010</ref>
Trivia
- Star Citizen has a StarCitizen:Face Melter T-Shirt reminiscent of The Punisher logo.