Red Light Runners Expected Release Date U.S. : 2003 (Subject to change)
Expected Release Date U.K. : 2003 (subject to change)
Expected Rental Release Date :

Red Light Runners Cast : Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Ian Buchanan, Harvey Keitel, Dennis Hopper, Martin Kemp, Sara Cox, Vinnie Jones, Eddie Izzard, Mickey Rourke, Gavin Rossdale.
Director : Nick Egan
Red Light Runners Written By : Clark Westerman
Producers : Michael Madsen, Clark Westerman
Other Known Crew Members :

Red Light Runners Based On :
Premise/Synopsis : Red Light Runners revolves around petty criminals who are manipulated by Madsen's character into more serious crime.
Genre : Crime Drama

Red Light Runners Official Site :
Fan Sites :
Red Light Runners Trailer :
Released By :

Red Light Runners Status : Casting

How excited are we about Red Light Runners : 8 Out Of 10

Have you information or found a scoop on Red Light Runners ? Email us now!

Latest updates on Red Light Runners

Red Light Runners Updated :

Friday 6th February 2004: Red Light Runners Update:
Robert has been in touch with a comment that Cillian Murphy had about the stalled Red Light Runners project "That fell apart unfortunately, we shot three weeks and the money disappeared and everyone fecked off!"

Friday 24th October 2003: Red Light Runners Update:
Word reaches us that IAFC Films have steppeed into the breach to sort out the financing on Red Light Runners and filming will restart on 24th October.

Tuesday 21st October 2003: Red Light Runners Update:
British movie Red Light Runners is reported to be in big trouble. The
project, which stars Michael Madsen, Harvey Keitel and Peter O'Toole, has
apparently been shut down after only four weeks of shooting. Urgent
negotiations are said to be taking place to bring together the finance
needed to finish the shoot. According to one source it could be “the most
calamitous British production of the last 12 months.” The film’s official
website is also “temporarily unavailable.” The only word from the production
company is that a private backer pulled out, causing the production to
collapse for the third time in its short history.

Friday 17th October 2003: Red Light Runners Update:
Dark rumours are circulating that the production of Red Light Runners has had to shut down due to financing problems. No confirmation on this yet, the project had a long and troubled history getting here and if it's true it's a shame.

Friday 10th October 2003 Red Light Runners Update:
The following images were sent in by Mr White from the filming of Red Light Runners starring Michael Madsen and Harvey Keitel in London!

Click Each Pic for MUCH larger versions!

Wednesday 17th September 2003: Red Light Runners Update:
Empire Online has published more new pictures from the set of Alfie, starring Jude Law and Marisa Tomei, as well as a shot of Crispin Glover on the set of Red Light Runners. To see them click here.

Friday 12th September 2003: Red Light Runners Update:
A number of pictures from the London set of Red Light Runners, a movie starring Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen and Crispin Glover, have appeared online. To view them click here.

Friday 21st February 2003: Red Light Runners Update:
Just received the following item from Fiegert " Rumor is that Gavin Rossdale and his British Rock band bush are going to Bring out their new album around the same time as Red light Runners.This would be due to the lack of sales with Bush's last Record Golden State. Red light Runners would be the perfect oppertunity to get Bush back in the spotlight and into the mainstream like they achieved with Sixteen Stone. Golden State was a huger failure only selling around 500,000 copies. Gavin and Bush are very talented hopefully this will boost his career and music." Thanks to Fiegert!

Friday 29h November 2002: Red Light Runners Update:

A couple of weeks back I had the opportunity to sit down with Clark Westerman, the producer of Red Light Runners. We talked about how progress was going on the movie, but more of that in a minute. Here's a little info on the film to recap.

Red Light Runners revolves around petty criminals who are manipulated by Madsen's character into more serious crime.
The film is also CO-produced by Michael Madsen and will star Vinnie Jones, Martin Kemp, Harvey Keitel, Minnie Driver, Gavin Rossdale, Mickey Rourke and Madsen himself in the lead.

A few months back, a high profile deal with a finance company fell through at the last moment and RLR's then public relations company made a whopper of a mistake; it jumped the gun and announced the expected deal without Red Light Runners approval, resulting in said finance company that had been courting RLR to (for reasons none can fathom) disavow even negotiating with the project…thus this dream cast and tasty piece of content went underground for a few months while potential suitors were left scratching their heads. Word was everyone in town wanted this project but the high profile PR snafu had put the jitters into potential suitors. But as with most, everything something this tasty can’t be restrained for long. Now they've reemerged and you oh potential ticket buyer will be happy they did!

Anyway, as I said, I met up with producer Clark Westerman and director Nick Egan, where we discussed the films progress.


PAUL: So, you're back?

CLARK: We are.

PAUL: You proved with documentation that your PR company made an enormous bungle in doing a press release without your authorization. This impacted you yes?

CLARK: Without a doubt. We were advised to take the 'high road'
and not retaliate against both our PR company or 'the finance/prod.company ‘that shall remain nameless,' as the finance/prod. company sent out both a silly, emotion-charged press release and an e-mail around Hollywood that made them look very juvenile. By not coming out HARD against the incorrect news, sure we took the high road but it didn't help solve the questions surrounding this that potential suitors had.

PAUL: Who can corroborate this?

CLARK: Future Film’s finance division, now dubbed Scion, has seen all the documentation and know we were certainly in negotiations with said company because Future/SCION occasionally are part of the same funding consortium. You saw the documentation. And we show it to any who request such. I will never go on holiday during such a time again!

PAUL: Why didn't your PR company fall on their sword and own up to their mistake?

CLARK: I think it was because they were newly growing their business and it was easier to lose us than look silly to potential clients. To that point they had done an amazing job for us and they got a lot of business because we were so high profile. I also had cut a very good deal with them as their flagship client and I don't think we were a big financial loss for them. They did such a good job for us that had they owned up to their mistake, we weren't canning them...which says a lot because the lead negotiator told us (points to director Nick Egan) the finance/prod company were coming back to the negotiating table. Meaning legally there was a lot of exposure for the PR company. A lot of exposure for the finance/prod company too as they laid me out when they disavowed even negotiating with us when I wasn't the lead negotiator on the deal.

PAUL: Who was?

NICK EGAN: The Management Company courting me/ the project. They had set up the meetings and Clark actually funded their trip to the UK to wrangle the deal. To say we weren't even negotiating is crap. Clark wasn’t but people from our side of the fence sure were. That person negotiating from that Management Company has since left the company.

CLARK: And I've read recently that the finance/production company were absorbed into Maverick Films causing me to wonder if the finance/prod company deal with their German backers changed. Had everything gone properly we might be regrouping right now anyway.

PAUL: I read some back pieces SCREEN INTERNATIONAL ran on RLR. Why is SI’s Adam Minns so sour on RLR?

CLARK: I don't know...his reporting has hardly been objective and impartial. We had about 85 postive pieces done on us and we're blocked for tv with Graham Norton for a week, BBC Breakfast, Top Of the Pops promo, Patrick Kielty on set visits the massive sponsorship stuff that will keep us daily on Capital Radio and tv and pub big screens w/ trailers and contests and on... We had one negative from screen finance and a few op-ed pieces from Minns guised as NEWS. Maybe he/they don't like heist films. We sent him (Minns) the correction documentation as well and he blew it off...they didn’t do a correction. He didn’t seem to feel comfortable with EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme). It's interesting to now review the few biased comments against what’s happening now. They didn’t seem to understand what we were attempting then to accomplish through EIS. Also comments regarding some of the talent were massively misinformed.

PAUL: Such as?

CLARK: The potshots saying any talent involved in EIS do so because they can’t take any other route. I mean Madsen is in three major films this year; Blueberry a 40 million western, Die Another Day in a support and Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’ as a lead. Rourke is being talked about in conjunction with ‘SPUN’ everyone (Harry Knowles' - Ain’t It Cool News.com for one) is stating this is his finest performance and potentially a nomination is in the works…Michael Caine (not involved in RLR) is linked to a project Close Bros. 5 picture EIS fund was revving up a few months ago. That comment and some of the others made were so off base.

EGAN: Look at it this way you’ll be hard pressed to find an indie film with this type of ensemble cast that are truly dedicated to the project, with a fun edgy script and massive sponsors that will be doing P&A to include TV spots, massive radio, print and the auto sponsor is revving up to do one better in the BMWFILMS type scenario. Who else has all of this? For our budget it’s a easy to start calculating profits.

PAUL: So now what for RLR?

CLARK: The script went through a rewrite that augmented Vinnie Jones' character as well as Mickey Rourke's and the script will evolve with a great gun we have engaged to do the polish. We have a primary deal nearly complete and a couple of suitors interested in investigating augmenting the budget by coming on in a CO-pro role so its great but complex to see if everyone wants to and can play in the same sandbox.

PAUL: You licensed RLR as a mobile phone video game?

EGAN: We did. My son is also hoping for a next gen platform video game as well.

CLARK: So to sum up, we have this insanely great cast, content in a genre that works well worldwide and we have the P&A that allows distributors to really get behind this puppy. We’ve done a nice job of alleviating risk with the P&A.

NICK: And the soundtrack…

PAUL: You hinted a few months ago about two massive bands involved can you tell-

NICK: —No.

CLARK: Not yet. But Nick has also been talking to Duran Duran, Gavin’s [Rossdale, Bush] is in-

NICK: And his track on ‘XXX' was fantastic.

CLARK: With the auto manufacturer we’re licensing a few great re-mixes…

NICK: And Tricky.

CLARK: And Tricky. What more to say.

PAUL: You two, Madsen and Vinnie (Jones) I hear are all going to tear up Hollywood next week?

NICK: Yeah. We’re doing a boys night out and I think some media will be tagging along due to the barometer rising on Madsen.

PAUL: My last question, think you could get Madsen and Rourke next year after their other films hit?

CLARK: I don’t even think I’d be able to get Egan here. He had a couple months’ lull when he got sick and then a family member took ill. All of a sudden he’s getting inundated with these video jobs and people trying to lock him down for other features. But I know where Nick lives so there’s that.

So, there you go, after months of the film's future looking in doubt, its back on! I've also just taken a look at the latest rewrite of the Red Light Runners screenplay, and all I can say is that it's simply awesome. This is going to be one hell of a movie.

More news on Red Light Runners as I get it.

Thanks to Clark and Nick for the interview.

Wednesday 28th August 2002 : Red Light Runners Update:
Okay here's the extra information and interview that I promised on Red Light Runners. The news that i've just received, official news that is, is that Two massive bands are on board with RLR soundtrack. Deal structure shall be arranged via RLR Music Supervisor, Brendan Bourke (of The Firm/DV8/Colombia/Sony) One band is a historic mainstay of Brit (counter) culture and will be re-recording a classic track. The other is a recent top 5 band that have racked up multiple number ones. We'll name the names as soon as the deals are inked. The other news that I have tonight is that one cast member of RLR may be departing but subbed in with a very intriguing replacement...you heard it here first. Anyway here's that interview that we conducted earlier on this week with producer and writer Clark Westerman, director Nick Egan and co-producer and star Michael Madsen. Here they go into the funding of the movie, and we discover that they have turned their back on EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme) funding.

ZREVIEW: So the top news is you turned back EIS funding? Why?

MADSEN: We found that there was a lot going on behind the scenes-stuff we can’t air publicly-that influenced our ability to hit a home run in EIS.

EGAN: We’re disappointed that we couldn’t do this through EIS, because investors would have done well. It would have been good for them, good for us and good for EIS projects in general.

ZREVIEW: So why not hold the £2.35MM you raised and top off with other funds?

MADSEN: Everyone else-interested corporations and such- wanted to come in only if they had first position. Meaning their payback came before our ‘mom and pop’ (smaller, individual) investors in EIS. That wasn’t the deal that Clark, Nick and I garnered those EIS funds under and such a change essentially screwed these people. There’s no way we’d do that. We badly want this movie done and the public obviously wants it too, but we won’t sacrifice EIS- after being so high profile- and its investment community, to succeed.

ZREVIEW: Turning back so much money…there had to also have been some selfish motives? That’s about a quarter of your budget.

WESTERMAN: Protectionist Motives. There was concern about Potential lawsuits. Think about say, 125 investors at a varying degree of investment, all promised via EIS they would hold the aforementioned first position, and with our film, they’d have a very good chance of recoupment and profit-then consider that covenant being wiped away and now they hold last position of recoup. They’d still likely recoup, but what if they didn’t? That’s a lot of exposure. That’s a lot of potential suits. So, we protected the film, ourselves and the EIS investors. We raised awareness of the scheme and then, unfortunately may have injured it a little. Overall I think the public cares more about this being a British film, the cast involved and that whatever the structure, this was an massively covered, well received effort borne outside the traditional movie making route.

ZREVIEW:So why not go with higher net worth investors?

EGAN: The benefits cap for an investor at 300k. The no capital gains proviso of EIS is attractive, but for the corporations, sponsors and potentials distributors the feedback we got was hi net worth players via a Film Partnership or other where the investors are known entities makes the green lights happen. Other structures allow for similar benefits as EIS…so it got very complicated.

WESTERMAN: at the end of the day we were put in a decision making purgatory. I mean turning back the £ was difficult. Goal ~1 has always been to make a great film. EIS was the intended vehicle. Unfortunately there were circumstances regarding competitors and their stances that took a great plan and made it not feasible in the tight EIS deadlines we had. We could have gone the whole route via EIS without certain interference. I know it. If you look at the EIS charts we did a good job whatever the outcome.

ZREVIEW: So whats the plan now and why didn’t you know this from the outset?

MADSEN: We as a business were put into a very difficult place. We wanted to make a film through this scheme and due to rabid competition, some dirty pool and less awareness of EIS than say VCT (venture Capital Trusts). I love the idea of EIS as it truly is what I said in an earlier interview-Art for arts sake this feeds film development. We actually tried very hard to make EIS work. If you read back to our first press conference, our then accountants, acting on our behalf at the time, publicly and in print stated that they’d continue to help RLR complete financing when we essentially failed with EIS…I don’t think that helped us much.

ZREVIEW: Can you go deeper with the backwater politics -the ‘dirty pool’ you keep referncing.

WESTERMAN: Someday the story to getting the film made would make some interesting reading. We found some great, unexpected allies and some wolves. In quick words, and keeping me within legal bounds, if hypothetically, potential, hypothetical investors came to some sort of hypothetical intermediaries that may have or may not have had what they, the potential intermediary considered competing product , they could have, in theory, diverted a lot of hypothetical potential investors and such diversions could have in theory been witnessed by other parties that could have reported such activities to us. And we could, in theory act accordingly at a later date. Intrigue! Barefisted brawling! Bloody Knuckles-all within the financial realm. Who would have thought it? Its like my high school yearbooks’ Chess Club picture, three of the Club members had had accidents before the club photo so the chess club looked like a tougher organization than the soccer team.

EGAN: The great consolation to me is we wanted to be both EIS and a great UK film. We will still be a great British film and that’s the more important of the two.

ZREVIEW:What’s the biggest stumbling block with EIS success right now?

WESTERMAN: AN IFA related a story of it took about 5 years for Venture Capital Trusts to become widely understood/accepted, we were on a learning curve with EIS and the balance of making this movie on our timeline vs. success through EIS wasn’t working.

EGAN: We didn’t have the luxury of doing massive roadshows on behalf of the film and EIS…we didn’t have five years…

ZREVIEW: Whats the plan now?

WESTERMAN: Well, were in negotiations with a consortium of hi net worth investors that have invested deeply in film previously-they understand RLR… and we’re being shopped by two specialists that do a blend of Pre-sales and Gap Financing that should get us to goal. The Bacardi and other product sponsorship deals really make RLR a pretty sweet proposition. I mean there are millions in Promotion and Advertising being committed to this film In addition theres the mobile phones RLR license.There will be weekly contests for high scores and bits of news that drive contests and such.That makes us a tasty morsel to distribs. Some add’l upcoming news should keep things at a fever pitch.

Z REVIEW: Will you try EIS again?

EGAN: We will if some things change-I mean we believe in it as it’s a great way to go, but the scheme has to be deeply marketed so that those who are the intermediaries really understand its value and push, as brokers do-push it to their clients. Essentially most IFA’s had only seen dogs as EIS product so having this cast, this content , this backing in promotion and such…it ran counter to all their experiences.

WESTERMAN: (re EIS again) Absolutely.

ZREVIEW: Have you guys named Madsen’s character yet for gods’ sake?

MADSEN: We’re debating two names…

ZREVIEW: Harvey & Dennis?

MADSEN: Have each given us their schedules of availability.

ZREVIEW- It is at this point in the interview that I blacked out, apparently koshed . I awoke with my interviewees gone as was my wallet.

Wednesday 28th August 2002 : Red Light Runners Update:
More news to report about Red Light Runners, the film that see's Michael Madsen starring co-producing with Clark Westerman. To recap, the film is about around petty criminals that run red lights, who are manipulated by Madsen's character into more serious crimes. The cast already includes Martin Kemp (the Krays), Eddie Izzard (Circus, Shadow Of the Vampire), Vinnie Jones (Snatch), Sara Cox (Radio One DJ), Gavin Rossdale (Bush), Mickey Rourke (Angel Heart) and Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting). The film is also written by Clark Westerman and directed by celebrated video and commercials director Nick Egan.

So here's the new information. Producer and writer Westerman informs me that Tricky, the actor musician that appeared in Luc Besson's The Fifth Element, has joined the cast as a character named Wally. He will also partner with Jonathan Elias (9 ½ Weeks, Two Moon Junction composer) to work on the film's soundtrack. The producers are also in talks with Colin Salmon, who appeared in this years Resident Evil as well as the upcoming Die Another Day, to appear as Mr. Gregory, a support part in the film. Also on board is Roland Gift, lead singer of The Fine Young Cannibals. He will play the role of 'Fig'.


Tricky (left) and Roland Gift.

Disney Line Producer Steve Clark Hall is Red Light Runners consultant and former Barclay’s Media Guru, Geoff Salmons’ top choice for Line Producer.

On the advertising fronts, the word is that a major car manufacturer is taking a shine to the idea of marrying Tricky, a certain music track and the synergy Red Light Runners affords it for an upcoming commercial. Also, the film has + £2mm in advertising and promotional muscle behind it, in the UK alone, and that number is expected to grow as existing prod. sponsors amplify their position with worldwide promo and advertising for the film. A mobile phones video game developer has licensed rights to a RLR video game that will be playable on mobile phones. There will be weekly contests for high scores and bits of news that drive contests and such.


I'll have more, including an interview with Westerman, Nick Egan and Michael Madsen later tonight.

Tuesday 13th August 2002: Red Light Runners Casting News & Director/ Producer Interview
Just received an email from our new found friend, Clark Westerman, who's producing Red Light Runners with Michael Madsen. There's more casting news for the movie and that is that Minnie Driver has indeed joined the cast as a character named 'Dru'. Her production company 2Drivers will now also co-produce. Here's a little chat we had with Clark and the film's director Nick Egan where they both give us more info on the movie.

ZREVIEW: You guys have done everything up to this point with no agents and really on the outside of Hollywood and now you’re looking like one of those ‘It’ projects that succeeds and keeps picking up momentum…how?

NICK EGAN (director): (re: Westerman) Well, he started it and infected the rest of us.

CLARK WESTERMAN (producer): We had Michael and Nick initially respond well to the draft script and instead of saying ‘We’ll be there when you’re ready’, they said ‘We’re in, how can we help get this thing rolling?’ All of us networking has been essential.

EGAN: Now we HAVE to deliver a great film or all of our contacts are burned!

CLARK: Well, its all on you (to Nick)…no pressure, no pressure!

ZREVIEW: Who else are you onboarding to Red Light Runners?

EGAN: The next big one is a guy who is someone Clark and I –well, we ALL completely love and…well, you’ll see.

CLARK: We’ve got an absolutely bulletproff cast that’s box office attractive-Adding Minnie was very key as we were quite male overbalanced on the cast and we needed the girl you instantly believe as her character, a UK/US known entity and someone who can--

EGAN: --Who can be sweet, attractive and conversely, someone to reckon with.

CLARK: Exactly. Minnies Characters’ name is ‘Dru.’

ZREVIEW: The script is on your site (www.redlightrunners.co.uk) is that the complete script?

CLARK: No. There’s a prologue and an epi missing from that draft that deals with Hopper, Keitel, a second Narrator (hopefully Madsen can tap James Woods for that) Chris Penn and a support character that is TBD…

ZREVIEW: Anyone else?

EGAN: I think we’ll announce more supports and musicians for the soundtrack in the next few weeks.

ZREVIEW: So you’ve got product sponsors hitting you up?

CLARK: We do. We’re having a chat with Bacardi on Thursday and apparently there is an auto manufacturer, a beer company, a hotel chain, a mobile phone manufacturer and an airline initially interested

ZREVIEW: What product sponsorship is most logical for the film?

EGAN: Automobiles for the red light runs

CLARK: I just want to clarify how product sponsorship will be done in this film…its logical product sponsorship, well done, not blatant and not de-immersive as that both ruins a film and doesn’t achieve the goals the product manufacturer intends…we’ve already hashed that out with those who have approached us and they know.

EGAN: And film –onscreen props…Polaroids of each of the Red Light Runners

CLARK: Data storage devices blank cd’s and/or zip drive…all of these are mandated by the script.

ZREVIEW: Minnie’ production company is now also co-producing?

CLARK: Yes. 2Drivers have gotten more than a few things into production this year and Distributed. They also-you asked about the script a minute ago-they also have access to this guy who will take the script and take it from ‘pretty good’ to ‘amazing.’

EGAN: Clark wrote a great script but he wants something even better. The guy is cool because he’s humble enough to say , ‘yeah I did something that everyone connected with-but I still am junior to these top shelf guys we can grab to make it really sing.’ The film will benefit from that.

ZREVIEW: So, its really early but do you have anything else rolling around in your head?

CLARK: I do. I got a good reception from a bunch of studios and they want to see what’s next. In addition we have a Latin Americas project, ‘She-Bat’ that I rough sketched and hired a talented guy to flesh out. Everyone is looking for their ‘Spider-Man’ as the stars’ asking prices escalate massively if the picture does well and succeeds as sequels are easy targets. I’ll be writing something in about a month.

Thanks once again to Clark for the information and interview.

Sunday 28th July 2002: INTERVIEW: Clark Westerman
This week I had the chance to do a little Q + A session with Red Light Runners producer and writer Clark Westerman. In the interview, Clark reveals more about the plot, what it's like working with Michael Madsen and also gives us more details on who will be popping up in the movie.

Z REVIEW: Tell me a little about the story behind Red Light Runners. What's the premise?

CLARK WESTERMAN: Blatantly : If a motorist blows through a red light, the speed camera/Madsen's character will get you and leverage you for higher crimes. The audience thinks Madsen's character is a photo analyst for the
police/government. And he's using these speed camera photos to leverage these
motorists to do crimes for him-purportedly crimes that the government can't be caught doing itself- At one point Madsen's character, as Narrator queries the audience - "Do you think many people actually volunteer for hazard duty in
the CIA and such?" No. its all about leverage.

ZR: But blowing a Red Light Isn't Much To Leverage a Person To Do A Higher Crime...
CW: Madsen's character is good at what he does, he either blatantly spots
things in the speed camera photos that indicate further surveillance should be
enacted or...he just has the gut feeling. Once you fall in his playing field you're in trouble.
The surveillance performed clues the audience in on each Red Light Runners'
criminal talents and through this introduction to the ensemble cast the audience then sees how the web aligns for the big heist at the end. But just how much are we telling the audience and what is real and what is not?

Michael Madsen (left) and Clark Westerman.

ZR: How did you come to meet Michael Madsen and why did you decide to work together on Red Light Runners?

CW: I was able to get him the script....a few weeks later, after I thought it was a dead issue, he called me and asked to come aboard as both CO-Prod. and lead. We'd work together to get the project on its way.

ZR: What is it like working with him?

CW: In my mind, what it should be like...Michael is collaborative, he didn't just say 'use my name to open doors',' he has burned a lot of favors (Harvey, Dennis, Eddy) to get the momentum moving and given time to do the press conferences and such. The fact that all of Michael's fellow actors are a tight knit group that operate on a favors system -we'll call it 'a bad ass actors Mafia,' allows this thing to progress-no attitudes, no drama, no b.s.-only solid networking and filmmaking. Its how Vinnie came aboard...he understood the purity of what we're doing-we just want to make a great fu**ing film. Michael saw Harvey do extremely well on his assist in funding Reservoir Dogs and Michael sees this as his RD (not that we are a Tarrantino flick) in terms of reasonable budget vs. profit.

ZR: I can't seem to find any information on you chosen director, Nick Egan. What background has he come from and why have you decided to go with him?

CW: Download the prospectus at www.redlightrunners.com for full bio, but Nick is the glue and the epicenter. For every positive step you see us take forward Nick has been involved in some manner. Keitel is interested not just because Michael asked him ...Harvey did some checking on Nick and he found - Nick's Propaganda Satellite Films background (Alums include Fincher, Fuqua, Bay,
Jonze) translate to the Hollywood buzz that this guy is the next commercials,
music vid. Director to take the film genre one step further. Nick has earned
nods in commercials work and music vid work with Alanis, Duran, Oasis, Sonic
Youth Kylie, INXS, Soupdragons, Nike, Nintendo, Perry Ellis...it goes on...essentially this is the guy that knows everyone, has worked with
everyone and his number is up. He turned down three features to do RLR...so
he's definitely got investiture. Harvey essentially told Madsen we chose
very, very well.

ZR: What are the reasons for making the film over here in the UK?

CW: The tax scheme we are using is avail. here. That's major, but its
secondary. First and foremost, Egan is a Brit and he said he'd only do it if
we could be a small part of reinvigorating UK film. Michael and I both love
the UK -Madsen just shot Bond over here- so no one had to have their arms
twisted. We also encounter less b.s. over here. People here have great enthusiasm for the medium. The US tax laws are slowly pushing filmmaking/ entertainment out of the country-and into Germany, Australia and the UK-nad for the US great for the UK. The tax scheme we're flowing through essentially, as Madsen puts it, 'is a vote of confidence by the UK government in the Arts.' Your choice is to either lazily toss your taxation to IR, or invest it in leisure/ entertainment. An investor immediately gets back 20% from IR (40% Capital gains relief that is retroactive for a year so last year if you did well and were taxed heavily and this year with the economy not performing as mightily, this may be a good one for some) and if a loss, another 40%- much better than 100% down the black hole eh? In addition if the film profits, 100% of profit is nontaxable for the investor. That's a massive deal.

ZR: You're using a lot of British talent in the movie too. Martin Kemp is a big star over here and indeed is an excellent actor. He's been cast in the film. Tell me a little about his role and have you seen (British soap) Eastenders?

CW: Never seen Eastenders. Martin was a target because of the Krays. He and Gary's turn in that film was, simply put, astounding. Martin plays, Letto, a dotcom exec who is a white collar criminal. Nick and I couldn't think of a better candidate. Kemp is one of the leads Madsen has ensnared. We will be weighted more heavily on the UK side of talent and that snowball is progressing with Vinnie, Gavin and now, I expect to be able to announce (Wednesday I think) some great additions to the ensemble.

Martin Kemp in 'The Krays'

ZR: What has the casting process been like and are there any more additions?

CW: Wednesday...Wednesday.

ZR: What's the word on Dennis Hopper and Harvey Keitel?

CW: Via Madsen they are in. We'd have been sued by now for using their name in connection with this film if Michael hadn't worked it out with them. As soon as we subscribe to 80% of budget, we can pay them down with formal agrees.

ZR: Where and when do you hope to shoot the film?

CW: UK, exteriors and Pinewood Studios, Late Oct/Early Nov this year.

ZR: Can you reveal anything else about the deceased celebrity that you intend to bring back to life through CGI?

CW: Soon. But there's a clue within this interview. I'd like to do this later after we complete our raise so it is truly a homage and not viewed as a publicity stunt. We're thinking of how to possibly enable this benefiting the celeb's surviving heir(s) in some positive manner.

ZR: And lastly, can I be in the film! As an extra maybe???

CW: We intend, in a pub scene to use extras, and some will be Nicks pals, My buddies ...so , you bet. Just beware the beer we'll be serving will be real so keep a steady keel while others purposefully blow their lines to keep the pub open after normal licensing hours!

So there you go, a little more info on Red Light Runners plus the fact that I may get in the movie! Here's hoping! Anyway, we'll bring you any more casting news on the film, next week, when we get it. Thanks to Clark for giving us the interview.

21st July 2002: Red Light Runners Update:
Red Light Runners producer and screenwriter Clark Westerman contacted me once again earlier on today with more news on the project. As we know, the film will be co-produced by Westerman and Michael Madsen. Madsen will also star, alongside Martin Kemp, Eddie Izzard, Vinnie Jones, Sara Cox and hopefully, as they're still in negotiations, Dennis Hopper and Harvey Keitel. It seems that the producers are chasing four more major talents for the film.

Westerman told The Z Review, "We are targeting: Minnie Driver for a lead, Christopher Plummer, Thandie Newton, Ray Winstone and the speeded out gent from Trainspotting [I can only assume he means Ewan Bremner, who played Spud] to round out our ensemble. Approaches will be made once we reach our milestone of £8M."

Westerman also kindly sent me over some pics from the film's recent press conference at BAFTA.

[images, Dez Mighty]


Vinnie Jones (above)


Vinnie Jones & Michael Madsen


Madsen and Jones & Madsen


Michael Madsen & Clark Westerman?


Gavin Rossdale and Michael Madsen

ALL IMAGES (c) Dez Mighty

20th July 2002: Red Light Runners Update

I just love it when I receive emails like the one that was sat in my inbox when I got home today. Clark Westerman, the writer and producer of Red Light Runners, the film that will star the likes of Michael Madsen, Harvey Keitel and Dennis Hopper, sent me a little note to clear up a few matters.

Vinnie Jones was NOT a replacement for Beckham-Vinnie's part is much deeper than Beckham's cameo.

He also commented on the invlovement of Beckham's wife, Victoria, on the film s soundtrack.

Victoria's deal, as was reported elsewhere, incorrectly, was not and is not dependent upon David's.

Plus it seems that another couple of big names have joined the cast.

Mickey Rourke has also joined the cast and Gavin Rossdale (of Bush) holds a main part in the cast AND will be contributing to the soundtrack either via BUSH or solo (TBD based on tracks supplied).


Mickey Rourke & Gavin Rossdale

A word about Gavin-Director Nick Egan and I are very excited about his on-screen debut (his 1st not as Gavin Rossdale)We think he'll blow people away with his talent.

Also, as with a lot of lower budget movies, the producers are offering investors to appear in the film and attend the films premiere.

Your readers may be interested to know that via the raise we are doing for the film-investors get to be extras and attend the wrap party and UK premiere as either VIP or standard dependent upon investment. Pretty cool to share screen time with Madsen, Keitel, Jones, Hopper, Rourke etc....we feel it may be interesting to send this group on a fund raising journey-we hear they can be quite convincing when they want something.

And here's the most interesting thing that was attached right at the end of the email......

Via digital FX, we plan to bring back a dearly missed, deeply talented celeb...they will be inserted into a background of a scene.

Wonder who exactly he means?

19th July 2002: Red Light Runners Update:
Vinnie Jones has signed up to star in Red Light Runners in a role that England and Manchester United star David Beckham has reportedly turned down.

Jones will appear in a small role, as a hitman, in the film produced by Michael Madsen. Also confirmed is comedian Eddie Izzard.

A spokesman for the film commented on Beckham's decision not to appear, "It was not something he wanted to do at this time,"

17th July 2002: Red Light Runners Update:
Is someone pulling my plonker or what? David Beckham will play a hard arsed assassin in Red Light Runner? Apparently yes, according to The Diary. Read on.

Producer Clark Westerman says "If you remember the character of Marcellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction - the big, burly, black guy - well, that's the sort of part we want him to take. Marcellus was built up from the start as this tough bad ass, but it wasn't until much later that you got to see him. We want David to play a similar cameo as an assassin with a bad eye, so much that's he's almost sightless. You'll never see him kill because we don't want to upset his younger fans but he'll make a brief appearance towards the end where you see he has this power over the bullets. He'll be able to bend them".

And Posh (Victoria Beckham) may sing on the soundtrack! I myself find this very hard to believe. Beckham opposite Harvey Keitel and Dennis Hopper? Treat this as rumour only!

2nd July 2002: Red Light Runners Update:
Red Light Runners could be the film that reunites Michael Madsen and Chris Penn with their Reservoir Dogs co-star Harvey Keitel. When I say could, I mean that only Penn and Madsen are confirmed to star. Here, Michael Madsen will also produce. Also in talks are Dennis Hopper and our own Radio One DJ Sara Cox. Nick Egan, whose previous work is mainly music videos for the likes of Alanis Morisette, Oasis and Kylie Minogue, will direct and Clark Westerman will produce as well as pen the screenplay.

Martin Kemp spoke to the BBC about the project, "Red Light Runners has a clever plot that will tap into current headlines regarding speed cameras and right to privacy issues. I'm particularly excited to be working with Madsen."

The film will mostly be funded by UK investors. Madsen chose the UK due to special tax breaks and to take advantage of the UK Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS).

For the full story check out BBCi.

More news on Red Light Runners as we get it!

Date Page Created : 2/7/2002 Date Last Updated : 21/7/2002

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