EXCLUSIVE: John Devaney, CEO and founder of Miami-based United Capital Markets, announced Wednesday the formation of Manor House Films, an equity-focused production company that he said will support “unique filmmakers and purpose-driven films.”
Devaney has already had two opportunities to do this through the company – first as a financier of the addiction drama The PrinceScreenplay by David Mamet, which we were the first to report on. The film, directed by Cameron Van Hoy, is currently in production and tells the story of an addict’s turbulent odyssey through the world of power, pleasure and pain on his transformative journey to recovery.
Pic’s cast includes Nicolas Cage, JK Simmons, Giancarlo Esposito, Andy Garcia, Scott Haze, Simon Rex and more. Multiple sources told us the project was inspired by Hunter Biden, though sources close to the production denied this.
Devaney also funded the P&A budget for City of Dreamsa thriller that marks the directorial debut of Mohit Ramchandani and will be released nationwide by Roadside Attractions on August 30. Inspired by a true story, this film tells the journey of a Mexican boy whose dreams of becoming a soccer star are dashed when he is smuggled across the border and sold to a sweatshop in downtown Los Angeles. Executive producers on the project include Tony Robbins, five-time Latin Grammy winner Luis Fonsi, award-winning singer-songwriter Linda Perry and Oscar winner Michael Phillips (The highlight, Taxi driver), Rome Oscar nominee Yalitza Aparicio and Sean Wolfington, the executive producer of last year’s surprise box office hit Sound of freedom.
Regarding his involvement in the latter film, Devaney stated: “I was in pre-production on The Prince when my friend Sean Wolfington called and insisted that I watch a clip of City of Dreams. I was completely overwhelmed and couldn’t remember the last time I had reacted so emotionally to a film. I spoke to my new friend Mo on the phone and was impressed by his strength of character as well as his visionary filmmaking.”
Ramchandani made the film, the financier recalled, “because his father worked in a sweatshop and after his mother died, he used the proceeds from her life insurance to finance the production. Wow.”
He added that he was honored to be part of his journey and this very special film that sheds light on the 500,000 migrant children exploited in the supply chains of major corporations in our country.”
Over the decades, Devaney has established himself as an authority on risk measurement, opportunity discovery and liquidity provision in structured finance products. He founded United Capital Markets in 1999 to fill the liquidity and modeling vacuum left by Long-Term Capital Management following the crisis. Since then, he has been involved in trading billions of dollars worth of structured finance products.
