John McCaw Forms Movie Company

Sports owner and onetime cellular phone tycoon John McCaw Jr. became the latest multimillionaire to buy a toehold in Hollywood, forming a company to make films with Grammy-winning music producers Glen Ballard and David Foster.

The first project of Intrepid Entertainment is the independent film “Clubland,” based on a script Ballard wrote about musicians, the company said Thursday, adding that the movie is fully financed.

Ballard said in an interview that his goal is to make lower-budget films that develop new talent.

Intrepid creates an unusual alliance of people who have been highly successful in their respective fields but lack film experience.

Earlier this month, Ballard won three Grammys for his work in co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette’s best-selling album, “Jagged Little Pill.”

Foster is considered one of the top pop music producers, working with such stars as Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole and All-4-One. He is under contract to Time Warner’s Atlantic Records, where he is a vice president and has an Atlantic-distributed label called 143 Records.

McCaw, a Seattle native, helped build the giant McCaw Cellular Communications that was headed by his older and better-known brother, Craig. The company was eventually sold to AT&T; Corp. for $11.5 billion in 1994. The latest Forbes 400 list estimated John McCaw’s net worth at more than $670 million.

Known as a reclusive figure in Seattle, McCaw has lately turned his attention to sports through his Orca Sports & Entertainment. His current investments include majority ownership of professional hockey’s Vancouver Canucks, ownership of the National Basketball Assn.’s Vancouver Grizzlies and a minority stake in the Seattle Mariners baseball team.

Stanley McCammon, president of McCaw’s Orca Capital investment arm, said McCaw has wanted to expand further into the sports and entertainment-content business for some time.

“This is not an ego-driven investment,” McCammon said. “We have a great deal of faith in David and Glen.”

Foster said his friendship with McCaw through fishing and sailing led to conversations about forming a company. Ballard later told Foster that he had written a script, which led to the formation of the company.

Foster said no distribution deal has been made for films, but he said he hopes to work with Time Warner and its units, given his relationship with the company.

Plans are said to include interactive projects and, presumably, music-based projects, although the firm’s activities in that area are expected to be limited by Foster’s deal with Atlantic.