Toronto-based Norstar Filmed Entertainment has pacted with New Legend Media AG to co-produce six-pictures kicking off with The Fourth Angel starring Jeremy Irons, Forest Whitaker, Jason Priestly and Charlotte Rampling.

The Fourth Angel is now configured as a co-production between Norstar, headed by Peter Simpson, Allan Scott's Rafford Films and UK-based Sky Pictures, with New Legend's Al Munteanu acting as executive producer. Artisan Entertainment has domestic rights to the film. Seville Pictures is handling the film in Canada and Peter Elson's Global Cinema Group has international sales.

The film marks Norstar's third collaboration with Rafford after Gillies MacKinnon's Regeneration and family adventure Grizzly Falls. Scott wrote the script of the film, based on Robin Hunter's novel, in which Irons plays a man driven to extremes he never imagined after he sees his family gunned down in an apparent terrorist attack. It started shooting in London on Aug 14.

New Legend Media was formed in April this year from the merger of Munich-based ACC Entertainment and LA-based Legend Entertainment. Two German venture capital companies - Hamburg-based GBK Beteiligungen and Munich-based CEA - joined the consortium of private investors backing New Legend. Other shareholders include Tom Berry of Legend, Munteanu and Peter Popp of ACC and Canadian production-distribution group Motion International.

New Legend is both a producer - it is currently in production in Saskatchewan on Sins Of The Father aka Ties That Bind starring Andy Garcia and Teri Polo - and rights broker. It has, for example, bought rights in Italy, Germany and Spain to Total Film Group's My First Mister starring Albert Brooks and Leelee Sobieski.