16/12/2002

Duncan Kenworthy, the producer of Four Weddings And a Funeral and Notting Hill plans to step out of the UK National lottery franchise DNA Films to concentrate on his own production activities according to trade magazine Screen International.
Kenworthy is the regular producer of successful writer Richard Curtis who is just finishing the shooting of his directorial debut Love Actually with Hugh Grant, Rowan Atkinson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompsom and Liam Neeson.
Kenworthy and producer partner Andrew MacDonald got together to form DNA just prior to the announcement of the Lottery franchises in May 1997 and their respective production companies Toledo Films and Figment Films are the leading shareholders of DNA. But both producers have been criticised for not spending enough time making films for the franchise as only 6 films out of a total target of 16 films have been made by DNA Films since 1997, against 12 for the other franchise Pathe and 16 for The Film Consortium. As the franchises will expire next year, DNA is in talks with other potential partners to take over from lottery money such as Fox Searchlight who co-financed for the franchise Danny Boyle’s successful 28 Days Later. DNA Films has not spent half of the total £31m (48 million euros) lottery money that was awarded to them 6 years ago and is negotiating with the UK Film Council the extension of the franchise to be able to access the money not spent yet.