An Interview with Film Producer Jonathan Sothcott

Jonathan Sothcott is one of the UK’s most experienced and successful independent producers. He talks to Roger Crow about the next wave of movies from his Shogun company.

Hi Jonathan. Tell us about some of your new movies, kicking off with Helloween. It looks and sounds like a great John Carpenteresque chiller thriller. What can we look forward to?
First, I have to say writer/director Phil Claydon is a real talent. We met a couple of years ago and were talking about doing something together, and an opportunity came up for a ‘killer clown’ movie. Obviously, that can mean any number of things, but he went away and constructed this story set during the 2016 ‘killer clown sightings’ phenomenon, using that as the background for a serial killer named Kane (Ronan Summers) who is incarcerated in a psychiatric hospital with no hope of getting out and so begins plotting this Purge-style uprising. His doctor, Ellen (Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott), and a journalist (Michael Paré) notice that people on the outside are following what they call ‘Kane’s Path’ and are getting ready for some anarchistic bloodbath on Halloween, so they have to work together to try to stop a massacre. It’s a really bold, layered horror movie, very ambitious and made with a huge amount of passion and care. Claydon is a filmmaking force of nature with boundless energy (at one point towards the end of the shoot, he arrived on set with the clown make-up on himself, just because) and is a real talent. I am sure this will lead to bigger things for him: he deserves it. The film also boasts a star-making performance from Ronan Summers as Kane; he’s a remarkable actor with a huge screen presence. I cast him after seeing him play both Kray twins in Ben Mole’s Code of Silence – I knew he was absolutely the right guy and that I had to work with him.

It must be nice working with Michael Paré again – especially after Renegades.
Michael and I are now three movies deep, and I value and respect him massively – so many cult movies on his credits – not just the magnificent Streets of Fire but The Philadelphia Experiment, Moon44, Bad Moon – he’s always the best thing in a movie, be it good or bad, and he’s an exceptional screen actor. It is a privilege to work with him, and he adds gravity to everything we do. I was talking to him on the phone yesterday, and just his voice adds production value – we’re chatting about random things, but you feel like you’re in a movie because of the way he talks. He also has great chemistry with Jeanine; they really work well together in Helloween, and I’m sure they’ll do something else together: they’re very well matched. A very natural, unspoiled, unassuming guy. If I could get him in every movie, I would.

Jonathan with his wife and actress, Jeanine

You and leading actress Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott must work like a well-oiled machine on set these days. Is there a non-verbal shorthand between you?
Yes – I just do what I’m told! Seriously though, it is very rewarding seeing Jeanine get such a great platform in these movies; she’s so talented and more than holds her own with this procession of screen legends I keep throwing at her. She’s really run the gamut in these three latest movies. If we weren’t married, I’d genuinely be a huge fan of hers; I really rate and respect her as an actress. Martin Kemp pulled me aside on the first day of Doctor Plague and said, “You know, Jeanine’s really, really good,” and while of course, I do know it, it is always lovely to have my opinion endorsed by people I love and trust. Michael Paré said exactly the same thing to me.

Do you see this as the start of a series of Helloween films, or is it a definite standalone?
I’d love to do another one. I am cautiously optimistic. I know it’s a great film, and I am confident it will find an audience. We are going to give it the best push we can – look out for a ‘making of’ book and some very cool action figures, which we have been working on behind the scenes. I really hope audiences love it as much as we do… it would have been rented out a lot in the Blockbuster days, I think.

When can we expect to see the movie?
I would imagine at the very end of this year or the very start of 2025. It will be ready in September. Distribution moves a lot faster these days now there are no DVD shops to set the pace.

You’re also making Doctor Plague. Everyone loves Martin Kemp – there must be a sense of things coming full circle as you go way back. How have things changed between you on a film set over the years, or is it just like old times?
Martin kept saying it was like working with family, and that’s exactly how I felt – he opened so many doors for me at the start of my career, for which I’ll be forever grateful, and he’s such a genuine, kind man. We just slotted back into this lovely relationship like it was only a few weeks ago. He is so recognisable in the UK; everywhere we go, he has people coming up to him, and he is so kind and humble with everyone – he really does have a lovely way about him, and it’s genuine. He has accomplished so much in his life, and we have a lot of shared history, but he’s still excited to come to work every day.

Who does he play, and what’s the premise?
Martin is jaded Met detective John Verney, investigating a spate of killings in the London underworld by a murderer dressed as a 16th-century plague doctor, which is rapidly becoming an urban legend. There is mysterious graffiti at the murder sites, but as he finds himself coming up against a wall of silence on the streets and under pressure from his superior (played by David Yip) to get it wrapped up and buried as gang warfare, he begins to realise that the killings are the work of a very sinister secret society. Someone described it on set as Se7en meets The Silence of the Lambs with a pinch of Jack The Ripper, and that sums it up.

Martin has a natural gift for comedy – will there be a lighter side to his character?
No, not at all – quite the opposite; this is a dark, dark movie, tonally it’s like Spellbinder (1988) or The Wicker Man (1973), and Martin plays it straight, just like Edward Woodward did in that. I cast Edward’s son Peter in this as a nod to that seminal folk horror, which was definitely an inspiration. Of course, Peter is a magnificent actor in his own right. Many years ago, I interviewed Edward, Christopher Lee, and various others about that movie and was on friendly terms with Robin Hardy (in fact, he invited me to a screening of his very strange sequel The Wicker Tree), so that film is one I have always loved. On another note, I have to say I think this is Martin’s best performance since The Krays – it really is his film, and he really put everything into it. In a way, he’s so famous that it makes him underrated as an actor, but he’s superb. It was nice to surround him with really talented, credible actors too – as well as Peter and Jeanine, we have David Yip, Wendy Glenn, Johnny Palmiero, Michael McKell, and Daisy Beaumont. These are small films, but I’m just trying to attract the best and most talented people.

When is the release date?
Doctor Plague will be out in Spring 2025, I guess maybe April. And yes, we’re looking at sequel ideas for this too.

Knightfall – there can’t be many 007 fans who aren’t excited about this – how was it working with Roger Moore’s son, Geoffrey Moore? Who does he play, and what’s the premise?
Knightfall came to me initially as a vehicle for Ian Ogilvy and Jeanine from two writers, Robert Dunn and James Smy. It had a lot of potential, and we developed it a lot, bringing in a third main character, Hugh, a suave old-school MI5 agent. From the very beginning, I had Geoffrey in mind for that – we have been friends for so long, and I had always said to him that when the right part came along, I’d get him. There is a nod to the Moore legacy, but Geoffrey is a very different screen presence to his father, and this is a considered, nuanced performance. Of course, it’s not like he’s new to it – he was in Sherlock Holmes with his father as a child and Fire Ice & Dynamite and was a natural performer – he’s an accomplished musician with a record deal with Warners – but I think he’s really engaging on screen, and audiences will love him. You know I don’t want it to sound like I’m just working with friends because in every movie, we make a concerted effort to bring in new people, but making these films with Geoffrey and Martin really has been a joy.

What’s the premise?
Knightfall is about a black ops MI5 bioweapon raid that goes wrong, leaving scientific adviser Ros (Jeanine) in danger, with foreign agents after her. She travels to the home of her estranged father, disgraced legendary spy catcher Charles Knight (Ogilvy), in the hope he can protect her, and together with her boyfriend Hugh (Moore), they have to defend the place from a squad of ruthless mercenaries led by the terrifying Ivan (Robert Cavanah – another superb actor).

Ian Ogilvy in ‘Renegades’

You and the magnificent Ian Ogilvy have worked on many projects before. How was it picking up after Renegades?
Ian is such an under-used actor; he’s magnificent, as you say. This is our fourth film in a decade, and I really enjoy working with him. He told me this was the best script I’ve sent him since We Still Kill The Old Way, and I agree – Steal and Renegades were both hotchpotches really, for various reasons. This one plays to his strengths, and I think fans will really enjoy it. Aside from the Bonds, British spy movies are few and far between, and tonally this sits in the same space as things like The Fourth Protocol and Who Dares Wins. I never really knew Ian as ‘The Saint’, but from horror movies, particularly The Sorcerers (must have watched that a hundred times on Bravo in the 90s), and From Beyond The Grave. But I see the fun in playing him off against Geoffrey Moore on screen; the chemistry literally crackles. One of the things that really elevates Knightfall for me is working with director Ben Mole. We have known each other for nearly 20 years, but only started working together in the last year or so, and I am such a fan of his. He’s so intelligent and film-literate, and he’s a practical problem-solver. Super talented – another one I’m sure I’ll lose to bigger things.

When can we see that?
This will also be out early next year, 2025 is where all this work pays off. We’ve made four films in the last 12 months, and I’m committed to three more in 2024 and six in 2025. We started Shogun in 2020 and got off to a bit of a slow start with the pandemic, and the first two movies, Nemesis and Renegades were not necessarily what we should have started with – but from Summer ’23, I think of it as being Shogun 2.0. We’re making high quality, audience-pleasing genre movies, which are my passion. I’m really proud of what we have achieved and are achieving, of the team we’re building from film to film, and of the journey we’re on.

I’m really looking forward to Werewolf Hunt – is that a nod to classic Amicus chillers like The Beast Must Die?
The Beast Must Die was definitely an inspiration – what a fun bit of campery that is. Paul Annett, the director, was a great pal of mine when I was young; I used to see him socially a lot after we did the DVD commentary for that film. We went to (film critic) Alexander Walker’s memorial service together. But more than that, I have always been fascinated by werewolves and loved the genre. From Curse of the Werewolf to An American Werewolf in London; The Howling series; Bad Moon; Wolfen; Dog Soldiers. I loved the TV series Werewolf and She Wolf of London, and Children of the Full Moon is my favourite episode of the brilliant Hammer House of Horror. There’s something terrifying and intoxicating about the genre; it’s a very primal threat. But I loathe CGI werewolves; they are just totally unconvincing. As such, we’ve had these absolutely stunning fully practical creature suits made in America for this film, which I think are wonderful. I have one built on a mannequin in my office, and every time someone walks in, they jump out of their skin. I hope Werewolf Hunt will be an all-guns-blazing action horror movie that scares and excites people the way all those films I just cited did me. I have a really good feeling about this one.

Ronan Summers in Helloween make-up, with Jonathan Sothcott

Are the pending Shogun movies an attempt to move away from the gangster genre for a bit, as the market seems to have been saturated in recent years?
It isn’t over-saturated; it has just migrated to a different medium – streaming – with shows like The Gentlemen and Sexy Beast. It’s a shame in a way, as there was a lot of working-class talent coming into the industry via straight-to-DVD British gangster films, which has been denied that opportunity since the collapse of physical media. However, I really fell into that space very much by mistake and spent far too long in it. I’d meet people who would be quite disappointed that I wasn’t this cockney geezer, and I think when you become too closely associated with your product, that’s one of the dangers. I don’t really do social media anymore; I’d rather just get on and make these movies and try to create opportunities and give audiences what they want. When people see the Shogun logo – and they’re going to be seeing it a lot in the next few years – I want them to think, ‘This is going to be fun’, not ‘Oh no, here we go again; plastic gangsters fighting in car parks’. We’re trying to do everything the right way, and that includes exceeding audience expectations whenever we can.

What else is on your slate?
There are a couple of action movies, Active Shooters and No Good Men. A vampire movie called Midnight Kiss. There’s a fantastic hitman thriller called Too Long The Night, which reunites me with writer/director Stephen Reynolds. We’re looking at some classic horror adaptations including Phantom of the Opera, Mask of the Red Death, and Dreams In The Witch House. A female-centric thriller called The First Knives Club. Night Beat is a Maniac Cop-style horror about a killer mall cop. The Secret of Guy Fawkes is another chiller. Killer Instinct is an underground fighting movie. There’s a lot!

How do you find material? You seem to have a very busy slate.
It really does vary – as I said, Knightfall came to me as a spec project, Helloween because a distributor was looking for a killer clown movie. My designer, Rob Hughes, sent me a mocked-up poster for Doctor Plague saying ‘What about this?’. Werewolf Hunt was my idea, and we hired a couple of writers; similar for the film after that, another horror called Harbinger. 2025 is full, so I am now looking for things to make in 2026, but one of the joys of low-budget movies is that you can be nimble and respond to changing market demands.