Nicholas Denton and Tim Downie Join Michael Reeves Story "Tragedy Man"
Nicholas Denton is set to play the filmmaker Michael Reeves in a new film about the making of the horror picture "Witchfinder General," according to Variety. The project is called "Tragedy Man: The Making of Michael Reeves."
The same report says Tim Downie is attached to play Vincent Price, the actor at the centre of the story, and Hugh Bonneville is attached to play Tony Tenser. In film, "attached" is shorthand for an actor who has agreed to a role on a project that has not yet started shooting. Those deals can still change before cameras roll.
The film looks at the relationship between Reeves and Price during the production of "Witchfinder General." CrossBorder Films, the company behind the project, describes a plot in which Reeves is forced by his financiers to cast Price.
Two companies are producing the film together. Sceadwe Films and CrossBorder Films have teamed up on it. Sceadwe is a British banner that makes genre films, meaning horror, thrillers and similar stories. It was co-founded by the producer and writer Justin Stanley.
The film is based on an unpublished short story by Richard Sheppard. Sheppard co-wrote the screenplay with Stanley. Michael Ellis is attached to direct, and the report says it would be his first feature film as director.
Production is expected to begin in late November. Filming would take place after the planning stage, known as pre-production, which the company's website lists as the current phase.
CrossBorder Films is a London-based production and sales company. It will handle international sales, which means selling the film's rights to cinemas and television buyers in other countries. It will show "Tragedy Man" to those buyers at the American Film Market in Los Angeles, a trade event where sellers and buyers meet to strike deals, often before a film is finished.
Selling a film before it is made is a common step for independent projects, because buyers can commit money early. The timing means the film could reach buyers in the same weeks its cast is being announced. Any sales deals will be reported as they are confirmed.
