David Tennant's NEW Project - 'Decoy Bride' - commented news item

by Tim Cornwell, http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment/Hollywood-comes-to-isle-of.6296971.jp

Hollywood comes to isle of 'Hegg' in a Local Hero for the 21st century

TWO of Scotland's biggest screen names are poised to begin filming in a romantic comedy set on a fictional Scottish island.

Actors David Tennant, of Doctor Who fame, and Kelly MacDonald, who won a Bafta for her role in No Country for Old Men, are to start work on Decoy Bride next month.

Film agency Scottish Screen is investing £300,000 in the production, its largest possible grant for a feature film, to be shot partly in Scotland. - I'm assuming David has already filmed all his scenes for 'Single Father'... or they're filming firstly in Scotland so that he can shoot both 'Single Father' and 'Decoy Bride'.

Producer Douglas Rae said he hoped the film – with casting and production details rolled out yesterday at the Cannes Film Festival – would recapture the charm of British classics like Four Weddings and a Funeral. - I quite liked that film. It has been a while since I saw it, though. It was "a homage" to 1983's Local Hero, he said, which after 30 years has never been rivalled as a Scottish film comedy hit.

Decoy Bride tells the story of a superstar actress, Lara, played by Alice Eve, travelling to the sleepy island of Hegg to marry her British boyfriend James, played by Tennant, out of sight of the paparazzi. - Ooh, a relationship, eh? Let's see what James has up his sleeve... To keep photographers off the trail, the pair find a decoy bride. Inevitably, James falls for the local girl, played by MacDonald. - It's starting to sound interesting... And once again, 'Single Father' comes to mind. Anyway, I won't be posting the main plot to 'SF' to avoid publishing spoilers... Although when I published the article to 'SF', I was already publishing spoilers. Oh, stop it. Anyway.

Scottish Screen is banking that the combination of Tennant, 39, and MacDonald, 34, who has featured in films including Trainspotting to Gosford Park, will create some powerful chemistry. - I am not that familiarised with Kerry MacDonald's work, to be honest, so I can comment on her work. All I can say is that I am going to try my best to get more acquainted with her work.

The script was written by Neil Jaworski and Sally Phillips, the comic actor who played alongside Renée Zellweger in the two Bridget Jones films - It must be a lot of fun, then! and is a performer and co-writer for Channel 4 sketch show Smack the Pony.

The film is to shoot in June, partly in Scotland and partly on the Isle of Man. - Fantastic! It will look great - I am really expecting something BIG now. Great locations. Mr Rae said Scottish locations include castles in Dumfries and the coast around Inverary. - Oh God. I'm in love already.

"It's inspired by big Hollywood-style weddings in Scotland like Madonna's," he said. - Ok, that spoiled it for me. Madonna? Not Madonna!

The film is directed by Sheree Folkson, whose credits include directing stints on TV series Ugly Betty and Casanova. - The fact that he has worked with David before is bound to be a great asset.

Mr Rae and Robert Bernstein and Douglas Rae of Ecosse Films, along with Paul Ritchie, are producing the film.

Ecosse made its name with films from Mrs Brown to Becoming Jane. "What's significant for us is it's our first romantic comedy, having done children's films, horror, thrillers, period pieces," he said.

"Sally has captured the charm of Four Weddings or Nottinghill (by screenwriter Richard Curtis] but has an original voice. She's captured that quintessentially British humour," he said.

"Hegg" was inspired by Jura or Eigg, he said.
Steve Christian, of UK distributors CinemaNX, said: "We are thrilled to be working with these partners to bring to UK cinema audiences a big, mainstream commercial project such as this."

Carole Sheridan, head of talent and creativity at Scottish Screen, said: "Decoy Bride will shoot in Scotland, is set in Scotland and features two of our most interesting actors.

"It is very exciting to be involved in a project such as this and to be working with partners CinemaNX and Ecosse Films who have a great track record in bringing work to Scotland."

Right... what to think, then? When I first saw this article, I rushed to Team Tennant (a forum dedicated to DT) and posted what I thought. It went pretty much this way: 'I hope this doesn't get the axe, because I am still a bit bummed about 'Rex is not your Lawyer', and I'm trying not to get my hopes too high for this.' Well, I was trying to, but I'm excited. I truly am. There had been rumours about this project and David before, but it was never official. It's also on david-tennant.net, so it must be official, but then again, 'Burke and Hare' was too. But we all know circumstances didn't work for that. Anyway... Let's see what is waiting for us!