У фильма "Диковина" серьезные проблемы с финансированием и налогообложением. В статье написано, что больше всего проблем у фильма возникло в Австралии, а съемки третьей части фильма, которые было запланировано провести в Лондоне не состоялись вообще. Все же, Роланд Жоффе смог снять около 90% фильма, большей частью в Индии. Из-за долгов, чуть не были изъяты всех материалы фильма. В настоящее время проблемы не решены и австралийско-британская кинокомпания, которой принадлежит часть отснятых материалов, в большой заднице, по другому не скажешь, простите.

EXCLUSIVE: Roland Joffe's Singularity, starring Josh Hartnett, in administration

[Thu 02/02/2012 10:11:29]

By Brendan Swift

The company behind $28 million Australian-UK co-production Singularity has been placed into administration, owing millions of dollars to creditors including cast, crew and suppliers.

The film – directed by Oscar-nominated Roland Joffé and starring Josh Hartnett, Bipasha Basu and Neve Campbell – was plagued by budget troubles for months before administrators were finally called in late last year.

It is one of the biggest disasters to befall the Australian film industry in years. An estimated $15.13 million is owed to creditors, according to Worrells Solvency & Forensic Accountants, which is winding up Singularity Productions Pty Ltd.

Worrells told creditors that it had now secured all of the company’s books and records, which it was reviewing, while outstanding company returns had now been lodged with the Australian Taxation Office.

A number of sources have said the problems were directly caused when Belgian-sourced funding secured by film company Corsan – controlled by one of the film’s offshore producers, Paul Breuls – dried up during production. (Breuls did not respond to email questions from IF Magazine.)

Queensland-based producers Grant and Dale Bradley oversaw the Australian leg of the production. “Our number one focus is to do everything we can to get the Australian creditors paid,” Grant Bradley said, describing the state of the film as a “legal quagmire”.

The ambitious period piece is initially set in modern-day Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, where marine biologist Jay Fennel (played by Hartnett) undertakes a near-fatal dive to save his wife while exploring an 18th Century merchant ship wreckage. In a dream-like coma, he envisions India in 1778 where British captain James Stewart (also played by Hartnett) is about to embark on a dangerous mission while falling in love with a beautiful palace guard.

However, problems began shortly after the film began its initial seven-week shoot on the Gold Coast in late-2010, according to on-set sources. “It became apparent early on that the film wasn’t well budgeted and wasn’t handled well,” one on-set source said.

Payments to cast and crew were delayed, prompting stop-work meetings and the local union, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, to become involved. It is understood that the MEAA required money to be placed in escrow before allowing the Australian team to head to India for the second stint of the shoot in early-2011.

Nonetheless, conditions during the four-week Indian shoot worsened, according to on-set sources, with constant late payments and threats of strike action. One source said Joffé had personally bankrolled one key day of shooting although some crew still refused to work.

A third and final two-week shoot (to film the contemporary part of the screenplay) scheduled for Australia (before the location was switched to the UK) never occurred. However, another on-set source said about 90 per cent of the footage had been shot by that stage.

If the film can be completed it would trigger substantial production rebates, which should add to the pool of money available to creditors. More than $13 million of Australian-based expenditure is expected to be eligible for the 40 per cent Producer Offset rebate.

However, the Australian-shot footage is understood to still reside in Australia under lockdown while the Indian-shot footage is being held offshore, presumably by Breuls – the result of a highly-strained relationship between the producers.

The biggest Singularity creditor is Film Finance IV ($13.65 million) – an investment vehicle understood to be controlled by Breuls. The next biggest creditor is the Australian Taxation Office ($960,000). Grant Bradley said he was also owed a “significant” amount of money.

Meanwhile, the impact on the Australian industry is still reverberating. Many on-set sources said they have never experienced a production with so many difficulties.

“There are certainly places and government departments which won’t let films be shot in their areas until bills are paid – there’s a big fallout.”

Bizarrely, Screen Queensland touted the production as a positive for the local industry in its recently-released 2010-11 annual report.

“Queensland’s success with co-productions and the benefits they bring to the industry through employment and the exchange of creative and technological innovation is demonstrated by three feature films made in 2010-11, Singularity, Bait 3D and Iron Sky,” Screen Queensland chief executive Maureen Barron (who was recently poached to head Screen NSW) wrote in the report.

While a $300,000 production investment is listed in the annual report (via Bradley’s Limelight International Media Entertainment) it is understood the payment was never made, partially because Singularity never had a completion bond.

The Bradley’s Limelight International Media Entertainment has continued to make films, with the support of Screen Queensland. The state agency invested $415,000 into their film Undertow, which was made about the same time as Singularity. Their next film, Bad Karma, which stars Ray Liotta, will be delivered to distributors in March.

Contact this reporter at bswift@if.com.au or on Twitter at @bcswift.

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В марте состоится следующая встреча кредиторов и администрации австралийско-британской компании, будут решать, как спасти фильм.

Rescue plan hatched for Roland Joffe's Singularity

07/02/2012

By Brendan Swift

A rescue plan has been hatched to save embattled Australian-UK feature Singularity from administration.

The proposal, discussed at a creditors meeting held last week in Brisbane, involves completing the film by June 30, which would trigger millions of dollars in government rebates allowing creditors to be re-paid.

About $1.5 million is owed to third party creditors although some internal claims remain outstanding. An initial creditors report from Worrells Solvency & Forensic Accountants initially estimated $15.13 million was owed to creditors however it is understood that the major portion of that relates to an investment vehicle which partially funded the production.

Contrarian Tax Unit’s Brett Thornquest, who is assisting the administrators, said: “We’re optimistic that we can find a path forward to get creditors paid, get the film finished and get it released – it’s in everyone’s interest to do that.”

Creditors are continuing to explore financial options ahead of another meeting scheduled for mid-March.

The $28 million time travel fantasy, initially shot on Queensland’s Gold Coast, was directed by Oscar-nominated Roland Joffé and stars Josh Hartnett, Neve Campbell and Bollywood star Bipasha Basu.

It was plagued by budget woes with cast and crew payments regularly delayed throughout the shoot, which also included four weeks in India. Administrators were called in late last year although the bulk of the film has been completed and post-production has continued in the UK.

Any plans to complete the film will require a greater level of co-operation between Australian producers Grant and Dale Bradley and UK producer Paul Breuls. The relationship is understood to have soured when funding sourced by Breuls fell over during production.

Meanwhile, Screen Queensland confirmed that it did not invest in the $28 million production. It had initially made a $300,000 commitment “to be triggered in post-production only and subject to pre-conditions” according to a statement from Screen Queensland chief executive Maureen Barron.

“After 12 months, and following discussions with the producers and other parties, these pre-conditions were not met and Screen Queensland formally withdrew its funding approval on September 13, 2011.”

Screen Queensland has offered guidance to the producers to resolve the outstanding payments to Queensland creditors, she said.

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Бипаша Басу и оптимистичные новости

Было много шума в воздухе о "Сингулярности",  голливудском фильме с Бипашей, в котором она играет ведущую роль в паре с голливудской суперзвездой Джошем Харнеттом. Слухи, дошедшие до нас, предполагали, что, возможно, фильм не попадет в кинотеатры из-за некоторых финансовых вопросов. Тем не менее, Бипаша отвергла это и подтвердила, что с проблемами уже разобрались, и в апреле возобновлятся съемки фильма.

"Средства массовой информации играют на новостях о Singularity. Был некоторый кризис с фильмом, но все это были отрегулировано в настоящее время. Я собираюсь снимать всю сцену в апреле, и фильм выйдет в конце этого года ", сказала Бипаша.
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There were many noises in the air about Bipasha’s Hollywood film ‘Singularity’ as well in which she is playing a lead role opposite to Hollywood superstar Josh Harnett. Rumours revolving around suggested that perhaps the film will not hit the cinemas due to some financial issue. Nevertheless, Bipasha rejected all report and confirmed that everything has been sorted out and she will resume shooting in April.

“The media played up the news about Singularity. There was some crisis with the film, but everything’s been sorted now. I’m going to shoot the rest of my scenes in April and the film will release later this year,” said Bipasha.
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Роланд Жоффе обещал нам Канны, пусть уж постарается!