Wednesday November 4, 06:35 AM

Russia-born tycoon buys Mel Gibson UK cinema firm-paper

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian-born tycoon Len Blavatnik has acquired a British cinema distribution business from Hollywood star Mel Gibson, Russian business daily Vedomosti reported on Tuesday.

Blavatnik's Access Industries bought Icon Group, which owns rights to around 500 films including the Oscar-winning "Dances With Wolves", the newspaper reported without specifying the value of the deal.

Blavatnik previously bought 50 percent of Russian film production company Amedia for $45 million (27.5 million pounds) in 2005.

Access has bought "more than a controlling stake in Icon UK" from Gibson and partner Bruce Davey, the head of Access Industries business in the CIS, Alex Genin, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; editing by David Stamp)