Date: 18th July 2002

Working Title's Missed Opportunities


Working Title head honchos Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner my have enjoyed some seriously big movie hits – Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Big Lebowski, The (1998) and Notting Hill (1999) spring to mind – and their company's certainly not headed the way of FilmFour, but things could have been even more profitable if they'd not rejected certain scripts. It's a list that probably brings a tear to Tim and Eric's eyes – Pulp Fiction (1994), Gosford Park (2002), Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Matrix, The (1999). 'But I defy anyone to have read the screenplay for the Matrix and say, "That's going to be a hit,"' says Bevan. Obviously someone did, stumped up the £40 million needed and sat back as The Matrix took in £270 million in its first six months.

Source: Press Release