UK producers Andy Thompson and Simon Phillips have launched a new film company, Dead on Arrival Digital, which is backed by an Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS).

The outfit will aim to produce a slate of four low-budget British films in the next 18 months. The budgets are expected to be about $750,000 each.

The first project will be a co-production with Press On Features. That London-set comedy, How To Stop Being A Loser, will star Richard E Grant, Martin Compston and Craig Conway. “We have a strong script and fantastic cast,” Phillips said.

The slate is also likely to include a fourth project in their Jack series from writer Paul Tanter.

“In the past two years we’ve been successful in delivering quality productions on low budgets and regularly returning a profit to our investors on single films without a tax efficient company,” said Thompson in a statement. “The idea of encapsulating our production model into a slate of four films not only spreads any risk but gives our investors the advantage of government approved tax incentives via EIS (at 20%) and the UK Film Tax Relief (c. 20%).”

The structure has been set up with an Asia-based investor and the Royal Bank of Canada Wealth Management.

The pair previously worked on titles including The Last Seven, Jack Falls, and The Scar Crow.

Here at the AFM, they have also continued deals on Danny Dyer-starring apocalyptic story The Last Seven with International Production Associates for Japan.

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