Sadie Frost, Emma Comley launch production company

Sadie Frost and Emma Comley are launching London-based production outfit Blonde to Black Pictures.

The company’s first feature will be micro-budget psychological thriller Buttercup Bill, which will start shooting on location in New Orleans later this month.

Emilie Richard-Froozan and Remy Bennett (Tony Bennett’s granddaughter) wrote the screenplay and will share directing duties. Bennett will also star as Pernilla, a young woman who learns shocking news about a girl she grew up with, and starts seeing visions of her imaginary friend, mischievous cowboy Buttercup Bill.

The company’s second feature, to be announced later this summer, will shoot in London.

A further five features are in development with new talent.

The pair are working with Andrew Green and Ben White of White and Company to raise finance for the first two low-budget films, which will include EIS financing. Buttercup Bill will be eligible for the Louisiana state film tax credit.

The company aims to produce “culturally relevant, commercial independent films.” Frost and Comley want to support new talent from early development to production, while working with experienced production teams. Innovative finance strategies will be employed for a range of budgets. They add they want to make “movies to get people talking”.

Frost said: “We are very excited to be launching Blonde to Black Pictures with the unique story of Buttercup Bill, particularly as the ethos of the company is to produce original stories that excite and entertain audiences of all ages.

“The company is developing a traditional yet avant-garde slate of films, whilst being forward-thinking with regards to new media, and new ways of distribution.

“We feel it is key to originate films out of Britain which will be of strong interest to studios and international distributors and we feel confident Blonde to Black Pictures can do just that.”

Comley added: “Our collective years of experience connecting with audiences across all aspects of popular culture has taught us that, above all, it is essential to stay grounded in a truth beyond the purely creative.

“It is this understanding that is vital for judging which stories can be effectively told for a price that makes sense and on that basis we are developing a diverse and dynamic slate of feature for the international marketplace.”

Frost previously was a partner in Natural Nylon with Jude Law, Ewan McGregor, Sean Pertwee, Johnny Lee Miller and Bradley Adams. Her co-productions include Love, Honour and Obey and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.She also directed short film Mrs Olsen.

Frost, who is also an actress, is also writing a number of projects to bring through Blonde To Black.

Comley is a music videos and commercials veteran. She worked at Flynn for four years producing videos for the likes of the Foo Fighters and Jay-Z. Commercials credits include for Nike, HTC, Smirnoff and Nokia.