Blockbuster financing

ENAR

It seems like a sweet payoff to invest in films these days. Take for example the the hit comedy “The Hangover”, which cost $35 million to produce and earned $242 million, or the whopping $200 million the film “Paranormal Activities” brought in, costing only $15,000 to produce. Not all movies are that lucky however, and investing in a movie is risky business, as many Hollywood films — 60 percent or more according to industry experts — are a flop, or more commonly known in the industry as “box office bombs.”  Lebanon’s FFA Private bank, undaunted by stage fright, has recently joined the ranks of Hollywood financial backers by investing in the three-dimensional animated movie “The Prophet” based on Khalil Gibran’s best-selling book.  “It is a risky business, but it is also highly lucrative if you know what you are doing and if you hit the right movie,” says Julien Khabbaz,