News 14 August 2003

An LA based production company has made a substantial offer for film rights to THE LAST BRITISH HERO: The Mysterious Death of Grand Prix Legend Richard Seaman by Phil Shirley. One of Europe's leading Grand Prix drivers in the 1930s, Seaman was a patriotic Englishman and anti-Nazi who became the only non-German driver in the Mercedes racing team which was the pride of Nazi Germany. A cocky, flamboyant daredevil, Seaman was initially admired by Hitler and seen as a useful Anglo-Saxon propaganda tool during the years of appeasement. But as the outbreak of war loomed ever closer, Seaman came to be seen as a threat, and in his book Shirley suggests that he may have used his position at the heart of Nazi society to provide intelligence for the British Secret Service. The manuscript is due at the end of the year but work on the film will begin based on early material and the author's notes.

SHANG A LANG, the autobiography of the former Bay City Rollers lead singer, has been sold to Heyne in Germany. The deal was handled by Christian Dittus of the Fritz Agency and Markus Naegele.

The Japanese deal has been finalized for WHITE STORM, the story behind David Beckham's new team, Real Madrid. The deal was handled by Asako Kawachi of the Tuttle Mori Agency and it will be published by Neko Publishing.

Serial rights for IN HITLER'S BUNKER have been sold to a leading national newspaper. The extracts will start no earlier than 11th October and will be completed by the 26th October. Armin will be in the UK from the 27th October.

FRAMED by Tod Volpe has received a major write up by Cindy Adams in the New York Post:
'The new thing is scammers who do time then write books. October brings FRAMED. Tod Volpe started a small SoHo gallery and ended with Jack Nicholson, Barbara Streisand, Sly Stallone, Madonna, Bruce Willis, Joel Silver, Steve Tisch. It's high-maintenance wheeler-dealer on dark path to destruction. The art market crashed in the 90s. Volpe too. Clients art money went toward his debts... Continuing on with the crowned heads of Sothebys, he dishes dirt into auctions, how dealers manoeuvre art, under-the-table trading, price rigging, false claims, money laundering, drugs dealers trading art, tax avoidance, fake insurance claims... Scams appear to be moviedom's new topic du jour. Like Matt Dillon writing, directing and starring as a con man in 'City of Ghosts''

FRAMED will be published by ECW Press in the US and Canada. World rights (excluding the UK and North America) are still available.

And Finally...

Our best wishes to Armin Lehmann who was taken to hospital earlier this week. We hope that it was not too serious and that he is on the road to recovery.