35 years in the film industry
Film Finances helps movies reach the big screen, by guaranteeing that films will be made to budget and delivered on time. During Max’s day back in the 80s it became the leader in its field with offices in Los Angeles, London, Toronto and Sydney, helping to produce iconic films such as Rain Man, Platoon and The Last Emperor.
And it has remained at the forefront of the film industry over time, with more recent movies such as The King’s Speech, Slumdog Millionaire and Arrival.
As so often happens in life, connections in one arena lead to interests in another, often by accident rather than design. So it was with Groucho Entertainment, Max’s film production company which was formed to look after several eye-catching opportunities.
Today, there are three projects which are all somewhat on the “back-burner” in view of his other commitments.
The first, The Baker’s Dozen, is based on a true story of love and suffering in war-torn Ukraine during WW2. It was originally planned to shoot the film quite a while ago with a stellar cast that included Carey Mulligan, Tim Spall, Bill Nighy and Danny Huston, but other priorities intervened. When time permits, Max is determined to see this come to life.
The second, Run for New York, is the another true story based on the adventures of English Commander Nathaniel Courthope, whose heroic stand in the 1600s against the Dutch on a tiny spice island in the East Indies ultimately helped to reshape history. Long since forgotten by almost everybody, it is the very reason that New Amsterdam became New York !
The third, The Right to Know, captures the powerful true story of an ordinary American couple who contract HIV, but are never told by the life insurance company that decline cover or their medical team. A courtroom battle ensues, of real David and Goliath proportions, as they fight for justice against corporate negligence whilst their health is on a tragic downward path.