Producer Marc Samuelson Exits Isle of Man's CinemaNX Five Years After Co-founding the Venture

British producer and the co-founder of the Isle of Man’s government-backed production and finance body CinemaNX Marc Samuelson is stepping down after five years with the influential production agency.

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Samuelson is busy setting up a fresh company and is “having discussions with a number of potential partners” for his new venture, he said as he landed in Cannes.

As he sorts through his changing priorities, Samuelson is co-producing two high-profle U.K. projects currently being touted to buyers at the Marche du Film.

First up for Samuelson, in what is a return to being a fully independent producer after exiting CinemaNX’s government-backed arms, will be Neil LaBute’s Crooked House.

A Julian Fellowes adaptation of Agatha Christie’s favorite novel, it is co-produced by Rory Gilmartin and Joe Abrams of Brilliant Films and is being hawked to buyers by British banner Ealing Metro.

Samuelson, Gilmartin, Abrams and Ealing are currently finalizing finance on the project. Samuelson will also co-produce All our Christmases with Hillbilly Films’ Polly Leys and Kate Norrish (Monty Python’s Holy Circus). Billed as an edgy Christmas comedy it is written and to be directed by Aschlin Ditta.

Samuelson said CinemaNX will continue to concentrate on financing, co-financing and distribution and is expected to iron out future plans in due course.

“I will continue to have a role on the board, will be producing a major new project for NX and the Isle of Man to shoot this autumn, and will continue to be based in the NX office for the time being,” Samuelson told THR.

Since founding CinemaNX, the Isle of Man funded production arm has backed a host of movies including this year's Oscar-nominated animation Chico & Rita, put innovative distribution deals in place for Me And Orson Welles and has bankrolled movies including The Disappearance of Alice Creed, starring Gemma Arterton, Eddie Marsan and Martin Compston.

Read THR's Cannes Daily No. 3 here (PDF).