White Couple Who Financed ‘Precious’ To Make Millions

Posted on November 16th, 2009 - By Bossip Staff

Categories: New Movie, News

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The WSJ has an interesting piece about a Colorado couple who stepped up to the plate and put up $12 million of their personal money to finance the sleeper hit ‘Precious.’ What BOSSIP wants to know, is why can’t more Black millionaires step up, take some risks, and bring our diverse experiences to the screen?

The 36-year-old Ms. Siegel-Magness runs her own clothing company called So Low, which began with an underwear line for low-rise jeans. Her parents started the tea company Celestial Seasonings, where she worked growing up. Mr. Magness, 55, whose parents began the cable company Tele-Communications Inc. that later merged with AT&T, is a cattle rancher and oversees an investment group.

Their foray into film financing and producing wasn’t part of a carefully planned strategy. “When I began to get outside counseling from Hollywood about what we had done, people were mortified,” remembers Ms. Siegel-Magness. “They told us we should have instead invested in this or that fund to make 11 different movies, that we were crazy for financing an African-American movie about incest,” she says.

Hit up the Wallstreet Journal for the rest.

  • Dee

    That’s dope!

  • deeperthanmost

    if all the black actors in hollywood knew how to work together we would not need hollywood for work..we are the most dependent race on earth and it kills us…almost all white folks know what we’re are capable of and they invest over and over and over again to great reward..blacks on the other hand hoard their riches and pray massa keeps them in the house..

  • http://urbanfrugalchic.com Cynthia

    Men and women were balling when I went!

  • http://urbanfrugalchic.com Cynthia

    I thought Oprah and Tyler Perry put money in as producers too!

  • EleKtrik EccEntriK (ban censorship)

    @ Nique
    Girl please, Oprah and Tyler Perry are too busy counting money and plotting to make projects that have a big a$$ Oprah Perry label on it. They make me sick.

  • chaka1

    I see absolutely nothing wrong with this. I got my business started through rich white people who thought I had potential. You have to look beyond color and look at the end result.

  • chaka1

    You are right. Most black actors an athletes don’t have $12 million to invest.

  • DaHonestTruth ~ I Will ALWAYS Keep It Real

    “if all the black actors in hollywood knew how to work together we would not need hollywood for work..we are the most dependent race on earth and it kills us…almost all white folks know what we’re are capable of and they invest over and over and over again to great reward..blacks on the other hand hoard their riches and pray m*****a keeps them in the house..”

    I agree with everything you said here.

    but you left out how the black man is too busy giving his money back to the white woman/white community to bribe her to be with him and have his kids to invest in anything that may bring enlightment or education to his own/community – and Monique and Oprah put up money! Sistas can’t fund this stuff alone.

  • Jamaica

    It’s the same reason why there’s only 20 comments on this post, but 115 (currently) on the “50 Cent with Officer Ricky’s son” post…….WE are more interested in the buffoonery among us than engaging in positive interaction to uplift US instead of waiting and begging for hand outs from THEM.

  • Nique

    @moreaces

    Girl, dont forget the tissue!

    Oh LAWD…Here comes DaHonestTruth with her usual CRAP!

  • Redemption

    @Jamaica

    Speak on it!

  • EleKtrik EccEntriK (ban censorship)

    It would’ve been nice to see Will and Jada apart of this project.

  • Ms.EJ

    EleKtrik EccEntriK

    Interesting, I would have never thought about those two which brings to mind other black actors/actresses such as: Tichina Arnold, Angela Basset, LeLa Rochon, Vivica Fox even Robin Givens (thou many seem to can’t stand her). I miss seeing them on the big screen though.

  • http://www.wesmokemarijuana.com Meritamen

    Rich white folk have an interest in promoting negative disfunctional stereotypes.
    Why is Tyler Perry promoted so well?
    Isn’t Dave Chappelle just as funny?
    Why did Dave Chappelle leave the industry and turn down millions? He has character, some things you don’t give up for “FIAT” MONEY.

  • sassalene

    I wish i had the money to make films or even invest in them. i especially love the fact that these dark skin women are getting some love even though I will not see the film because it is depressing.

  • Betty

    Why couldnt all them black basketball players getting with smart trifling women (of all skin colors) fund this film. Why everytime a black artist want to express himself or put the truth out there, that a white person is usually behind him funding him. Its not like black people aint making money.

  • enkogkneegro ( Uncle E…if you like )

    Oh no how dare they take the opportunity to support a black film project away from all those rich black entertainers and black folks of means that I’m sure were lined up to take a gamble on such a phenomenal message…..LOL…Just being sarcastic. For all those white people are all devils find something negative to say about this here….LOL

  • deesac

    I just love me some white people they can be so nice at times.

  • Professor X

    ok.. hold on. I happen to know for a FACT that many black people DID put up money for this. I went to an Urbanworld film festival panel in New York with Lee Daniels 2 years ago and that couple isnt the ONLY ones to give money.

    If anything, this story is about black and white getting together.

  • Professor X

    not to mention, the black actors in the film drastically cut their asking price to be in it (especially Mariah) and make sure it got made.

    PLEASE STOP THE SPREAD OF DISINFORMATION

  • MsFlawda

    sad to say but there not showing Precious down here in Florida, well at least not my city. So many went to the theater to learn that it WAS NOT THERE…..Sad!!

  • Asada

    This isn’t about working together.
    Oprah is backing this, as well as Tyler Perry, so whats the deal here?
    Did it ever occur to anybody not all blacks like the film?

  • http://Timeiscoffee.com TimeisCoffee

    CRACK INVESTMENT LLC,
    You want to invest your money ? please call one of our best advisors:
    Bobby Brown
    Jadakiss
    Whitney Huston
    Beanie Sigel

  • http://WWW.EXOTICCASHFLOW.COM China

    Gotta love 50 this Man dont give a f*** He does what he wants.

    http://www.exoticcashflow.com For more Celebrity Drama

  • http://istephjohn.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/white-couple-who-financed-%e2%80%98precious%e2%80%99-to-make-millions/ White Couple Who Financed ‘Precious’ To Make Millions « Istephjohn’s Weblog

    [...] [...]

  • Bun Babylon

    bling bling everytime i come around the city bling bling…….

  • memchee

    I’m glad they were able to look past the color issues (potential audience backlash) and clearly see the potential.

  • chaka1

    @white male

    THANK YOU!!!

  • AH!

    I was like SUPER upset when I read this then I realized, I KNOW THOSE PEOPLE! Embarrassing…

  • vp

    and please spend a extra dime to get a proper censoring program that doesnt bleep out the a word cuz its in the middle of embarrassed! lmao really? now thats a race issue im going to perez site cuz white ppl keep their ish tight! lol

  • http://aol taylor

    white people have been financing moving for years that is nothing new, that was the so-called black heavyweights loss, mj, cosby, and many, many more blacks at least oprah and perry stepped up and color shouldnt manner it is the message

  • http://aol taylor

    why are yo hating on anika about her man not being black my personal preference are men of color, he is good looking man no matter what color he is, we all bleed red and true love should be color blind black or white male or female they are consenting adults leave the small stuff alone, life is too short to judge or comment on the race of who someone is dating -

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