Music publishing rights specialist Cutting Edge Group and its financial arm, Conduct, have made an investment in the Ryan Gosling-Russell Crowe comedy “The Nice Guys,” Variety has learned exclusively.
Warner Bros. opens “The Nice Guys,” directed by Shane Black, on May 20.
CEG has also announced new investments in “The Infiltrator,” starring Bryan Cranston and being released theatrically by Broad Green; “Limehouse Golem” from Number 9 Films, toplined by Olivia Cooke and Douglas Booth; and “In Their Finest Hour and a Half,” Lone Scherfig’s WWII comedy with Sam Claflin, Gemma Arterton, Jack Huston and Bill Nighy.
Seven-year-old CEG has invested in “Carol,” “Sicario,” “Whiplash,” “Fury,” “The King’s Speech,” “Drive,” “Looper” and “End of Watch” in exchange for music publishing rights. It handles scoring, clearances and music supervision in films, then recoups from soundtrack and sheet-music sales; licensing and royalties from international ticket sales and TV deals; and rights in TV commercials.
“Both are brilliant,” said CEG’s CEO Philip Moross. “Both deserve the Oscar! These two films scores are a fantastic addition to our high quality catalogue of music rights.”
CEG is the executive music producer of “Sicario” and “Carol.” The scores from Johann Johannsson for “Sicario” and Carter Burwell for “Carol” have both been nominated for Academy Awards.
Cutting Edge Group recently renewed their slate deal with Basil Iwanyk’s Thunder Road Pictures and closed an overall deal with Cross Creek Pictures. The company is looking to invest into a handful of A-list producers on development deals and around 25 single pictures a year against the use of music rights.
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