I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, the film which sees the re-teaming of Croupier director Mike Hodges and its acclaimed star Clive Owen, started production on location in the UK and Wales yesterday (Monday 23 Sept).

The contemporary thriller, billed as Hodges' first exploration of the world of crime since his 1971 cult classic Get Carter, tells the story of a reclusive, legendary gangster drawn back to the underworld through a disturbing family event.

Based on an original screenplay by Trevor Preston, the Will & Company Productions film is backed by Revere Pictures and Seven Arts. Mike Kaplan and Michael Corrente produce, while Roger Marino executive produces. Eliza Mellor is line producer.

Paramount Classics will distribute in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Middle East, while Peter Hoffman and Seven Arts handle foreign sales.

Other cast members include Charlotte Rampling, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Malcolm McDowell, who will travel between the UK and Chicago, where he is also shooting Robert Altman's The Company. Supporting roles are played by Jamie Foreman, Ken Stott and Sylvia Syms.

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead also sees the return of key personnel from Croupier and Get Carter, including cinematographer Mike Garfath, production designer Jon Bunker, camera operator Gordon Hayman and costume designer Evangeline Harrison. Simon Fisher-Turner, who also worked on Croupier, will compose the score.

Initially overlooked in the UK where it received a limited theatrical release through the British Film Institute in 1999, Hodges' Croupier found a second wind in the US, where it became a critics' favourite, taking $6.2m in 2000. It was subsequently re-released in the UK by FilmFour in June last year.

Owen recently completed a starring role opposite Angelina Jolie in Paramount/Mandalay's Beyond Borders, which is now in post-production. Recent credits include Robert Altman's UK-set ensemble Gosford Park and BMW's series of online short films The Hire.

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