Corsan chief-executive Paul Breuls has told ScreenDaily that Roland Joffé’s big budget romantic time travel drama Singularity starring Josh Hartnett, Neve Campbell and Bipasha Basu will now  be “positioned” for the autumn festivals.

Small re-shoots are planned over the summer at Pinewood Studios.

“We have the director’s cut and everything done,” Breuls said. “Roland is rightly very proud of it. We want to deliver as immaculate a film as possible.”

Singularity has had a troubled and very lengthy gestation. Earlier this year, Australian magazine Inside Film reported that the Australian company behind the UK-Australian coproduction had gone into administration.

“That was an Australian issue,” Breuls said. “They (the Australian co-producers) put it into liquidation. We have been working with the liquidator in a constructive way. That issue has been addressed.”

Breuls said that Corsan retained control of the material and was now in the process of putting the finishing touches to the film.

The Corsan boss wouldn’t disclose the budget for Singularity (although some sources have suggested it is as high as $35 million).

“Let’s not make false excuses. This was altogether a difficult film to make,” Breuls said. He cited the remote Indian locations as one of the chief problems the film faced. “The fact that you had to prep the film in Australia and then move to another continent is a long-lasting exercise.”

He noted that the crew on the film had been fully paid.

Following Corsan’s success with Lee Tamahori’s Devil’s Double, Corsan is again working with Tamahori on new film, Emperor. This is an epic tale about a young woman seeking revenge for the execution of her father by Emperor Charles V.

Breuls has confirmed that Michael Thomas (who scripted Devil’s Double and whose previous credits include Backbeat and Scandal) will be writing the screenplay. Producer Michael Fedun is also expected to be involved. “It’s very much a reunion of friends and collaborators.”

Other titles on Antwerp-based tax shelter specialist Corsan’s slate include The Killing Season, starring Robert De Niro and John Travolta. This recently finished shooting and is now in post-production. “I guess it will be ready in September,” Breuls said.

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