THE BRIT 50 PATHE UK


Need to know In 2009, Pathé UK decided to focus on in-house production. It aims to produce three to four in-house titles each year, supplemented by the oc- casional acquisition for which it also designs the marketing cam- paigns, funds the p&a spend and sells internationally. Titles are exploited theatrically and on TV by Warner Bros and on DVD by Fox. Past credits include The Girl With The Pearl Earring, The Queen and Slumdog Millionaire. Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours is released in the UK in January. Key personnel MD Pathé UK Cam- eron McCracken, director of inter- national production Louis Tisne, head of creative affairs Colleen Woodcock, SVP international sales Mike Runagall, MD Pathé Distribution John Fletcher. Incoming Phyllida Lloyd will direct the $18.5m Margaret Thatcher bi- opic The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep, co-produced with Damian Jones. Pathé is also producing Lee Daniels’ civil rights drama Selma alongside Christian Colson’s Cloud Eight (with which Pathé has a fi ve-year development deal); Hugh Jackman and Liam Neeson star. Ryuhei Kitamura is attached to direct horror No One Lives and John Downer is on board for a 3D version of The Jungle Book. Cameron McCracken says “A key for us is identifying brands, in the broadest sense, and to work with material where there’s already au- dience awareness. A director can be a brand, as can the cast or the property or event on which a fi lm is based. But there will always be exceptions when you’re bowled over by something thrillingly new.” www.pathe.co.uk


PASSION PICTURES Rupert Preston and James Richardson VERTIGO FILMS


Need to know Producer/distribu- tor Vertigo was established eight years ago and became known for lad-friendly fi lms such as Nick Love’s The Football Factory and The Business, Nicolas Winding Refn’s Bronson, as well as lower- budget indies such as Alex Hold- ridge’s In Search Of A Midnight Kiss. The company moved into an- other league in 2010 with the huge success of its own production and release of StreetDance 3D, which earned $17.9m (£11.5m) at the UK box offi ce and is now racking up big DVD success. The Vertigo- produced Monsters, which marks the acclaimed feature debut of Gareth Edwards, is in cinemas now and recently won Edwards the BIFA for best director. Key personnel Rupert Preston, James Richardson and Allan Ni- blo. Incoming A 3D sequel to Street- Dance is already in the works with writer Jane English and di- recting duo Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini back on board; Nick Love will direct The Sweeney, and the fi rst 3D feature in a planned Horrid Henry franchise is now shooting. Directed by Nick Moore, the fi lm’s cast in- cludes Anjelica Huston, Richard E Grant and Parminder Nagra. Vertigo is still working those smaller fi lms — including Guinea Pigs, a co-production with the UK’s National Film and Televi- sion School. James Richardson says “With the StreetDance experience, we’ve learned to make fi lms that have a bit more international ambition and just a bit more ambition in general.”


Cameron McCracken mail@vertigofi lms.com ■ 38 Screen International December 15, 2010


Need to know This year has seen Passion Pictures’ Afghanistan-set documentary Restrepo take the jury prize at Sundance and The Tillman Story picked up by The Weinstein Company, with both fi lms in contention for the feature documentary Oscar. Meanwhile, The Rolling Stones doc Stones In Exile cause a stir in Cannes. Pas- sion began in commercials in 1987 before producing Kevin Macdon- ald’s Oscar winning One Day In September. In addition to work in animation, commercials and mu- sic videos for the likes of Gorillaz, the company has consistently pro- duced docs for the big screen. Key personnel MD John Battsek, development head Nicole Stott,


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production head George Chignell. Incoming Passion is exec-producing James Marsh’s doc Project Nim for Simon Chinn’s Red Box Produc- tions, which will premiere at Sun- dance. Also in the offi ng is doc The Imposter with Raw Productions. John Battsek says “We set a bench- mark with One Day In September and it’s important we maintain it. So far, I think we have.” info@passion-pictures.com


John Battsek


Alison Owen RUBY FILMS


Need to know 2010 was a strong year for Ruby Films, with Stephen Frears’ Tamara Drewe and Hideo Nakata’s Chatroom both in Cannes, plus a shoot for Cary Fukunaga’s Jane Eyre. Alison Owen set up Ruby in 1999 and has produced fi lms including The Other Boleyn Girl and Sylvia and brought in former UK Film Coun- cil New Cinema Fund head Paul Trijbits in 2007. The company gains fi nancial stability from also working in TV. Recent projects in- clude Emmy-winner Temple Gran- din and the forthcoming fi lm/TV adaptation of Nigel Slater’s Toast. Key personnel Alison Owen, Paul Trijbits.


Incoming Jane Eyre is in post. Next to shoot will be writers Robert Wade and Neal Purvis’ Corsica ’72, directed by Luca Guadagnino (I Am Love), and John Hodge’s adaptation of Young Stalin as a TV project, plus BBC1 series Case Histories. Ruby is also working with BBC Films on Sex Education, Jonathan Stern and Jamie Mino- prio’s script which topped this year’s Brit List of best unproduced screenplays. Paul Trijbits says “Ruby is known for adaptations of bestselling [books], adding a marketable and distinct vision through collabora- tion with directors such as Cary Fukunaga, Stephen Frears and Hideo Nakata.” info@rubyfi lms.co.uk


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