Well, it’s been a while since I entered something on the blog, mainly because I have been flying around the world meeting people about 1066.

Last October I was in LA for th4e Hollywood Film Festival, where I met up with Anthony De Longis (Fight Director), www.delongis.com/

and Gary Daniel ( Gyrth) <<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Daniels > <http://imdb.com/name/nm0199939/>>. Details on the production page.

I am in the UK at the moment and met up with Ian Whyte our Hardarda and he’s a tall lad, 7’1". Now I am 6’3" and it is a joy to have to look up to someone, does wonders for my neck, as I usually have to look down. He is going to be great as the Viking King.

Others who have joined our merry band of film makers are Rocky Taylor, veteran stuntman who will be our Stunt Supervisor,. He has been on 17 Bond movies and having someone of his stature on the shoot makes my life easier. Lou Tedesco, Producer, Hollywood veteran. Matt Fiddes Viking Knight. Matt runs a group of Martial Arts schools across the UK and Europe.

I am writing this from Wales, where we hope to shoot the entire production. David Ball has also joined the production as Line Producer. Based in Wales his knowledge and experience will be a great asset to the production. Already he has identified various locations for the production.

Other things in the works:

Have had interest from several ‘A’ list actors out of Hollywood… nothing confirmed yet. And a producer out of Hollywood who has read the script and really likes it. I hope I will be able to fly out and see him soon to see just how he can contribute to bringing this production to the screen.

Shortly there will be further announcements on the production. Just waiting for legalities to be tidied up.

On a personal note, I went to see my first drama teacher Anna Scher. She is responsible for me doing what I do. I don’t know if that is a good thing or not, but when I was at Bell Lane Junior School, she was my drama teacher and put me in the school play which started it all. She was for nearly 40 years the pre-eminent drama teacher in the UK, teaching at her Anna Youth Theatre in Islington. Pauline Quirk, Phil Daniels and many more have gone through her drama classes.

A few years ago she had a breakdown and had to stop teaching. When she was ready to return the powers that be would not let her. Sort of typical I am afraid. She now teaches in the church around the corner. And her class was full when I went to see her.

If you are interested in dramas or you have children who are check her out at, The Blessed Sacrament Church, Copenhagen Street, and Islington N1. Thursday, Children, Fridays Adults.

I was asked some time ago about the UK Film Funding for movies, how much they made or their take at the box office. So I have now compiled some information on movies made from 1999 to2003which had the UK film Council funding.

28 Days Later (£3,225,000);Heartlands (£1,430,000);Parole Officer (£2,000,000);Final Curtain (£1,996,176);Strictly Sinatra (£1,994,910);Beautiful Creatures (£2,000,000);Hideous Kinky (£1,229,527);The Lost Son (£2,097,999);Hold Back The Night (£636,559);Janice Beard 45 WPM (£962,500);Fanny & Elvis (£1,377,973);Room To Rent £425,000;Large (£715,000;Gabriel & Me (£1,301,243);Christmas Carol The Movie (£1,607,526);51st State (£2,000,000);24 Hour Party People (£2,747,842);Dust (£2,091,910);In This World (£662,604);Dr Sleep (£1,375,000);The Intended (£1,150,000):Bugs! (£1,000,000);Bright Young Things (£3,000,000);Republic of Love (£1,022,222);Country of My Skull (£2,425,000);Deadline Beirut £373,403;An Ideal Husband (£1,000,000);Ratcatcher (£615,000);Darkest Light (£708,000);Loves Labour Lost (£1,044,968);There's only on Jimmy Grimble (£1,710,000);It was an Accident (£1,557,601);The Claim (£2,000,000);The Hole (£1,500,000);The One & Only (£1,500,000);Thunderpants (£2,053,824);Abduction Club (£1,200,000);Suzie Gold (£510,000);Girl with a Pearl Earring (£2,000,000);Max (£1,971,830);Natural History (£900,000);Churchill the Hollywood Years (£1,100,000);Magic Roundabout (£2,000,000)

This represents a total investment of US$128M by the Film Council which in most cases was a part investment. Total investment for these movies was US$245M. Total losses from these movies at the box offices worldwide (based on figures on imdb.com) were US$160M. In fact it is probably higher since 21 of the above films didn’t have any figures for their box office returns at all! Which leads me to come to the assumption that they were so bad that the powers that be didn’t want them advertised? Some did make some money on video rentals and no doubt they got some money back for TV rights. But one has to question the choices made by the UK Film Council and their ability to help tie up distribution afterwards, especially in the US market which is the dominant driving force behind the world cinema.

90% of the time if a movie does well in the US it gets better sales in the rest of the world. On one or two occasions, Mr. Bean and Johnny English the decision was made to distribute outside of the US first where Rowan Atkinson is very popular and then after having achieved high sales in other territories go into the US. This worked well with his movies, but does not work generally.

The best grossing British movies if one can call them that, Shakespeare in Love, Snatch and Harry Potter are all financed by the Hollywood!

 Robin Jacob

I would like to welcome Ian Wingrove to the project as Special effects Supervisor.  Ian’s credits   include Troy, Mission Impossible, Blackhawk Down, the Sleeping Dictionary, Hamlet and Henry V as well as Never Say Never Again, amongst many. He has a wealth of experience and will be a significant benefit to the production.

For more details please go to: http://imdb.com/name/nm0935071/

It is with great sadness and regret that I announce the death yesterday of Sydney Rose our Co-Producer. He had been battling cancer for some time and he eventually succumbed to it. Our heart felt condolences go out to his wife Judith and the entire family.

I first met Sydney back in the late 1970’s when he was working on Superman I. He had option a script I had developed with rock writer David Sandison, called Blue Rock. He invited me to Pinewood for the day and I got to meet Christopher Reeve and checkout the James Bond stage.

We lost touch for two decades and caught up with each other a couple of years ago when he started to get involved with not only 1066 but a couple of other movies I had written.

Sydney was what I call the old school type of Producer. Always willing to sit down and have a chat regardless of whether you were just starting out or Hollywood 'A' list. Quite honestly one see very little of that attitude either in LA or London.

He started out in artist management working on productions with some of the greats in the 'business' including Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Grace Kelly and Dean Martin.

He told me he used to have tea with Clint Eastwood before he became the Icon he is today as being good friends with the bee Gees and others in the music business.

He will be sorely missed.

It is our decision that his name will remain on the credits for 1066.

For a full bio go to:

http://reverieproductions.com/htmls/bio_srose.html

Robin Jacob