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THE SEQUEL
THE SEQUEL
studio facilities
with Matthew Rhys and various TV personalities like Gail Porter and Keith Chegwin, is currently enjoying the hospitality at Ealing Green.
“People do tend to enjoy their stay here,” con- tinues Musitano, “it has a good atmosphere partly, I think, because of the size of it. I know two of our recent features, Lucky Break and High Heels & Low Lifes, definitely enjoyed being here.”
As well they might, for they are both Fragile Films. But both Uri Fruchtmann and Barnaby Thompson are keen to stress that Ealing and Fragile might be related, but they are not one and
the same business. Future Fragile films will be filmed at whatever stu- dio facility best suits that particular production.
Yet while the physical develop- ments are still in the planning stage some things have changed at Ealing, such as the acquisition from Thames Valley University of a building adja- cent to the studio. It’s a sign of the things to come, but as much as look- ing to the future all those involved in the new, improved Ealing Studios are
keen to recreate the glories of an illus- trious past. Maybe they will even re- introduce the title card before movies filmed there.
“I hope we can do that in the future,” Fruchtmann – whose favourite Ealing comedy is The Ladykillers – adds. “Let’s hope that we can make good and successful films here. That’s all we can hope for.”
“In one sense,” Thompson contin- ues, “it’s a slightly heavy burden. But all we’re saying is that we’re inspired by that era, and we want to create and define another one then I think they will respond to it. Miramax have suc- ceeded in doing that in the States.
“Handmade did it here in their own way in the 1980s. Part of the idea is to re-ignite that brand in a modern form but with the same values. If we can do that with a couple of films then it could really take off.” ■ ANWAR BRETT