All articles by Geoffrey Macnab – Page 194
-
News
Four Horsemen ride with lads mag icon Ellison
British lads' mags iconJennifer Ellison is to star in The Cottage, one of four new horror films being launched in Cannes by Four HorsemenFilms (the genre horror label of UK production company Random Harvest.)Ellison, aged 21, leaped tofame aged 14 when she joined the long-running UK soap opera Brookside. Ellison ...
-
News
Bristol Media handles Greek drama
MatthewModine, Richard Griffiths and Greek billionaire-turned-actor Alki David are toheadline new UK-Greek co-production OPA! Directed by Udayan Prasad (My SonThe Fanatic.)Sales for OPA!, which recently started shooting in Patmos,are being handled by Tony Manne's Bristol Media International.Modine plays anarchaeologist who comes to Greece and falls under the spell of a ...
-
News
Stars gear up for Driving Lessons
Oscar nominees Julie Waltersand Laura Linney are to star alongside Harry Potter's Rupert Grint in Driving Lessons, writer Jeremy Brock's directorial debut.The story is about a shyvicar's son (Grint) with an overprotective mother whose world changes when hemeets a retired actress. Brock loosely based the comedy-drama on his own life.The ...
-
News
Fiennes uncovers Mata Hari
Martha Fiennes (whose newfilm Chromophobia closes theCannes Festival later in the week) is plotting a new film about MargarethaZella, also known as Mata Hari - the notorious exotic dancer who was shot bythe French in 1917 for allegedly spying for the Germans during the Second WorldWar.Fiennes is setting up theproject ...
-
News
Ashley Walters to star in Fiesta's Life 'N' Lyrics
UK rap star Ashley Walters(So Solid Crew's Asher D) has signed to play the lead in Life 'N' Lyrics, the first feature from new British production outfitFiesta Productions, headed by producers Esther Douglas and Fiona Neilson. This will be Walters' secondmajor role following from Bullet Boy,which is on sales outfit ...
-
News
Major coo for British bird Valiant
A plucky Britishwartime carrier pigeon hopes to ruffle feathers in America.Disney isputting its full marketing might behind UK animated feature, Valiant, scheduling a 1,500-2,000-print releasethrough Buena Vista on August 19.The key datemeans the CGI film should reach the key Labor Day weekend crowds. No otherfamily-oriented films are being released in ...
-
News
FilmFour fast-tracks Glazer's Under The Skin
In Cannes with three filmsin official selection, the UK's FilmFour has confirmed it is fast-tracking UnderThe Skin, the new project fromwriter Milo Addica (The King) anddirector Jonathan Glazer. Addica is UK-bound followingCannes to further develop the screenplay with Glazer. A visual effects team isalready at work on designs for the ...
-
News
Caplan goes on spending spree for UK Film Council
Weeks after she was appointed as the head of the UK Film Council'sPremiere Fund, Sally Caplan has already made a handful of sizable investments. The Fund, itemerged in Cannes, is backing Severance, the latest horror picture from Chris Smith (Creep), backed by Qwerty Films and sold byHanway.Caplan is alsoinvesting in ...
-
News
Indie Circle snaps up Iron Island
Pan-Europeandistribution collective Indie Circle has snapped up multi-territory rights toMohammed Rasoulof's Iron Island, this year's closing film in the Quinzaine. Theacquisition was concluded with Teheran-based Sheherazad Media Internationalfollowing this month's Paris screenings of Quinzaine films.The Indie Circle deal guarantees the film a release inItaly via Lucky Red, Haut Et Court ...
-
News
UK Film Focus shapes up for London Screenings status
Neil Jordan's BreakfastOn Pluto, which is tipped forcompetition slots in Venice and Toronto, headlines a slate of over two dozenBritish films, many of them world premieres, at next month's second London UKFilm Focus (LUFF), running June 27-30. More than 140 internationalbuyers have been invited to the publicly-funded event and most ...
-
News
Britney Spears adds heat to Celsius slate
A new Britney Spears project,the Janis Joplin biopic starring Pink and a $16m portmanteau picture featuringauteurs old and new headline an impressive debut slate for ThierryWase-Bailey's start-up sales outfit Celsius.Pregnant pop princess Spears is attached as producer on $55maction drama Trading Paint set in the rough and tumble world of ...
-
News
F&ME forges Balkan alliance for The Border Post
UK-based production companyFilm and Music Entertainment (F&ME) has forged a Balkan alliance for TheBorder Post, the first feature onwhich all the new nation states created by the break-up of the SocialistFederal Republic of Yugoslavia are collaborating as co-production partners. Set in late 80s on theMacedonian/Albanian border and centring around a ...
-
News
High Point Gay in Amsterdam with Van Gogh
UK sales agent High Pointhas taken over international sales duties on Tom Six's Gay In Amsterdam, billed as the first ever drama to investigate indepth the thriving gay scene in the Netherlands' most vibrant city. HighPoint has also taken rights to the last two films by controversial filmmakerTheo Van Gogh, ...
-
News
...as Weinsteins ride with Capitol Films' Stormbreaker
Bob and Harvey Weinstein are back in the spy kids business, with TheWeinstein Company taking North American rights to Stormbreaker, based on Anthony Horowitz's popular novels about reluctant14-year-old superspy Alex Rider.Capitol Films is sellinginternational rights to the $40m film, which has received hefty (£2.3 million)backing from the UK Film Council's ...
-
News
Tax financier Scope widens Euro goals
Aggressive new Belgiantax-based financier Scope Invest has boarded a new slate of French-languageBelgian films led by Benoit Mariage's new untitled comedy starring BenoitPoolevoorde, set for an October shoot, and Philppe Le Guay's Du Jours AuLendemain, also featuringPoolevoorde.Meanwhile, Scope is readyto board Jan Verheyen's Gilles, a remake of Dutch family film ...
-
News
O'Toole, Morton run with Sturridge's Lassie
Peter O'Toole and SamanthaMorton have signed up to head the all-star cast for Charles Sturridge's new Lassie movie, due to shoot later this month in Ireland andthe Isle of Man.Also helping revive thelegendary franchise are Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent), John Lynch, Jemma Redgrave, Steve Pembridge andGregor Fisher.Entertainment FilmDistributors will ...
-
News
Elton John to exec produce It's A Boy Girl Thing
SirElton John is to executive produce high school comedy It's A Boy Girl Thing through his company Rocket Pictures, it was announced this week. "Iabsolutely love this project. The script is hysterical - I can't stop laughingwhenever I read it," the British pop star commented.Directedby Nick Hurran (Little Black Book, ...
-
News
Icon does brisk business with Clear Day
UK sales outfit Icon International has been doing brisk business on therun up to Cannes with Gaby Dellal's On A Clear Day, securing salesto MK2 (France), Degeto/ARD for free TV in Germany as well as wrapping dealswith Portugal (Lusomundo), Israel (Shapira) and Iceland (Skifan.)On A Clear Day, the opening film ...
-
News
Brits on pre-Cannes shopping spree
UK companies picked up several titles from theCannes official selection before today's festival opening.Tartan signed CarlosReygadas' competition entry Battle In Heaven, Kim Ki-Duk's Un Certain Regard entry, The Bow, and Kim Jee-woon's A Bittersweet Life (screening out of competition.)It also took UK rights (excluding TV) to James Marsh's Un Certain ...
-
News
Frears set for The Queen and Di
In a move likely to ruffleestablishment feathers in the UK, Stephen Frears is going ahead with TheQueen, his long-gestating featureabout the death of Princess Diana, "the people's princess." Co-financed by Pathe Pictures and Granada Screen, The Queen is scheduled to shoot in September. It is likely toair first on TV ...