HBO takes the road less taken

Others would avoid them like the plague, thinking that casting them is tantamount to automatic box office disaster. But HBO doesn’t look at ehem – upcoming actors as recipes for commercial failures. The cable channel views them as potential stars who can carry an original series to commercial and critical glory.

Thus were the careers of Halle Berry (Dorothy Dandridge), Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex and the City) , Angelina Jolie (Gia) and Billy Crystal (61) launched. HBO gambled on the then unknowns, and won.

This did not happen by accident. Being the independent, commercial-free channel that it is (revenues hinge on subscriptions), it can come up with original works that don’t bank on big stars to make it. Focus instead is on the all-important story and technical aspects like screenplay, cinematography, etc.

This year, HBO Asia Programming Manager Christopher Ho has announced a line-up of movie blockbusters for subscribers. He ticked off a couple of titles:

Emmy awardee Deadwood (second season premieres March 14, 9 p.m); Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (premieres March 26 at 8 p.m .), Constantine (starting April 23, 8 p.m.), Six Feet Under, the final season and the hit comedy series Entourage.

Oscar-acclaimed Ray premieres March 11 at 9 p.m. while Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous takes a bow next month.

The HBO executive adds that of the Blockbuster of the Month (airing Sundays at 8 p.m. and featuring the latest Hollywood blockbusters that have grossed more than $200-M worldwide) premieres this year, seven have made it to the Top 10 Worldwide Box Office hits, like Spider Man 2 (aired last January). Also in this category are blockbusters Shark Tale and Meet the Fockers, which will premiere this year.

All set to make a bow this year, too, are original award-winning movies Lackawanna Blues (winner of a Best Actress Emmy and Golden Globe for S. Epatha Merkerson), Warm Springs (five Emmy wins), Something the Lord Made (three Emmy nods) and Life and Death of Peter Sellers (nine Emmys).

As for HBO’s second movie channel Cinemax, Ho says it’s all systems go for the premiere of the second season of Battlestar Galactica this year.

No, no, no, HBO and Cinemax don’t cancel each other out, Ho clarifies. HBO, the flagship channel, carries Hollywood blockbusters while Cinemax focuses on action and suspense. So there’s no conflict; the two channels even complement each other.

As usual, Ho and his team’s expectations are sky high. The words "biggest, newest and most" describe their rallying cry this year.

"HBO will see about 70 percent of the US Top 100 Box Office Movies for 2005 flow through our exclusive output deals, and you’ll get to watch the premieres through HBO Asia," he promises.

That’s a vow subscribers will hang on in several months to come.