Pandora, BBC Films raise Elton's 'Baby'
Fine Line replaced as filmmakers push to shoot early
Fine Line had agreed to fully finance the $6 million project (Daily Variety, May 18) but wanted to delay it until next year in order to work on the casting.
But writer/director Elton and producer Phil McIntyre were keen to shoot this summer, so decided instead to pact with the BBC, which brokered a worldwide distribution deal with Paris-based Pandora.
Brit comic actor Hugh Laurie ("Peter's Friends") will take one of the lead roles in this serio-comedy about the struggles of a thirtysomething couple to conceive a child.
Elton is one of the U.K.'s most successful comedy writers and performers. He co-scripted the BBC series "Blackadder" with Richard Curtis, who went on to pen "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Bean" and "Notting Hill."
Elton has also written several bestselling novels and sell-out plays, and will be publishing "Maybe Baby" as a novel as well as shooting it as his debut film.
Elton has another screenplay in the works based on his play and novel "Popcorn." This was long in development with Joel Schumacher for Warner Bros., but has now returned to producer McIntyre and is being set up with Claude Berri's Renn Prods. and Pathe.
