In a further bizarre twist to the film's financing - or lack of it - Fierce Entertainment has denied any commitment to Red Light Runners, the UK heist movie being set up by Reservoir Dogs star Michael Madsen.

Producer Clark Westerman had announced that the financier had stepped in as an alternative to raising $12m through UK tax initiative the Enterprise Investment Scheme. But Fierce co-founders Christopher Petzel and Scott Karol, recently instrumental in rescuing Oliver Cromwell story To Kill A King when its financing failed to materialise, said they had passed on the project.

Westerman confirmed that talks had fallen through and that a press release should not have gone out. In another unusual move, UK PR company Mainland apologised to Fierce for sending out the release announcing its involvement. "We were acting on behalf of our client and we apologise to Fierce Entertainment for this unfortunate misunderstanding," said Neil Mainland.

Nick Egan, whose background is in music promos, is to direct the project, once billed as a "posterchild" for the EIS scheme. The producers originally scheduled shooting for November.

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