Embargo on Sweeney

by Naman Ramachandran

24/10/2011 - Embargo Films has boarded action film The Sweeney, to be directed by Nick Love (The Football Factory). The film will now be a co-production between Vertigo Films and Embargo and will go into production at the end of October.

The Sweeney is based on the eponymous iconic 70s television show. It is co-written by Love and BAFTA winner John Hodge (Trainspotting) and stars Ray Winstone and Ben Drew. The film is Embargo’s third in 2011, its first year of operations. Backed by Exponential Media Group, the company was set up by director Barnaby Southcombe and producer Felix Vossen with producer Christopher Simon joining them.

Pusher, the English-language remake of Nicholas Winding Refn’s hit Danish film and a co-production with Vertigo, directed by Luis Prieto, is currently in post. And noir thriller I, Anna, directed by Barnaby Southcombe, starring Charlotte Rampling and Gabriel Byrne has been completed.

I, Anna is a UK-German-French co-production with Ilann Girard of Arsam International, producer of the 2009 Venice winner, Lebanon, and Michael Eckelt of Hamburg-based Riva Film (Lemon Tree [trailer]). Artificial Eye is releasing in the UK, ABC/Cinemien in Benelux and NFP/Warner Bros in Germany.

Vossen said, “With our third film about to go into production, this first year for Embargo has gone better than we dared to hope, both creatively with the films that we have been able to produce and finance, and in building the company. Looking towards next year, we will be working to move the next phase of projects we have in development into production, and to continue our collaboration with Exponential Media to identify additional co-production and funding opportunities.”