Fox Searchlight is in negotiations to bale out the project by signing up for North American rights, although a number of other financing options are also being explored.

Production, which started Jan. 20, officially went into "hiatus" Feb. 11, after the financing fell apart. The failure of the producers to secure a U.S. deal prior to the shoot meant that they were unable to close their bank deal and could not continue cashflowing the production.

However, exec producer Bradley Adams told Daily Variety that work on the set will recommence today, after three days of intense negotiations with several potential backers, and filming will resume on Friday. He is confident that the film will be fully refinanced by then.

Pic, directed by Michael Barker, stars Tim Roth, Dougray Scott and Rupert Everett in a 17th century political drama set against the backdrop of English Civil War. Scott is also a producer on the project.

"I have to say that Dougray Scott and Tim Roth have been fabulously supportive throughout this, and so have all the people working on the movie," said Adams. "It's not an ideal situation, but we will get through it."

The crisis has been exacerbated by the serious illness of IAC chief exec Guy Collins, who collapsed and was rushed to hospital a few days ago for a life-saving operation. He is now recovering.

Early footage of "Cromwell and Fairfax" has been screened privately to U.S. and international distribs attending the Berlin Film Festival. One U.S. exec described it to Daily Variety as "terrific."

Such stumbles seem to be becoming increasingly common in U.K. film production, as the move toward bigger budgets has coincided with a worsening of the climate for indie financing.

Half a dozen projects were halted during pre-production last year. Even Robert Altman's multi-Oscar-nominated "Gosford Park" teetered on the brink of financial collapse until it secured its U.S. pre-sale and bank financing several weeks into shooting.

Natural Nylon and IAC had originally been hoping that Fine Line Features would take North American rights to "Cromwell and Fairfax." But Fine Line prexy Mark Ordesky told Daily Variety that the company never entered any negotiations for the project and formally passed in early December.

Nonetheless, and despite the evidence to the contrary, the producers persisted in the belief right up to the start of shooting that Fine Line would be persuaded to come aboard, thus making all the other financing fall into place. They proved to be mistaken.
 
Date in print: Thurs., Feb. 14, 2002

Copyright 2002, Cahners Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.