22/03/2007

After nearly postponing production due to the recent tax restrictions on GAAP funding (see news), the modern-day version of the classic St Trinian’s has received €1.7m in Lottery financing from the UK Film Council’s Premiere Fund and will start shooting next week.

Produced and directed by Oliver Parker (Fade to Black, The Importance of Being Earnest) and Barnaby Thompson (producer on Fade to Black and Hope Springs), from a script by Piers Ashworth and Nick Moorcroft, the film’s strong UK cast includes Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Stephen Fry and Jodie Whittaker.

The new version of the much-loved 1950s comedy tells the story of the girls of the infamous St Trinian’s school, who pull off a great scam that involves stealing a priceless painting in order to pay off enormous debts and save their beloved school from closure.

St Trinian’s is an Entertainment Film Distributors and Ealing Studios presentation of a Fragile Films production with funding from the UK Film Council’s Premiere Fund, Entertainment and Investec.

“This is a British project through and through with a fantastic cast and a very experienced and talented production team. We are very pleased to be supporting St Trinian’s, an exciting comedy feature with great potential to appeal to a contemporary audience”, commented Sally Caplan, head of the Premiere Fund.

Ealing Studios is handling international sales.