Rock N Rolla

www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2008/aug/14/justasguyritchieshowssign
So it is with a little disappointment that I read this morning that Ritchie's new film RocknRolla, which looks to be a return to his roots, is being unceremoniously buried in the US, where it will open on fewer than 800 screens. One suspects it will do rather better here, but it's from America that much of the money for these movies often comes from, and a poor performance could make it harder for Ritchie to secure a decent budget for future features.

"I think it's a well-made picture, but while it's funny in spots, it's very English," Warner Bros president Alan Horn told the LA Times. "I don't think it's broadly commercial. It feels like a film that deserves a spirited release, but not a wide one. Joel [Silver, the producer] has an 800-screen deal, which we'll honour, but we might not be willing to spend the marketing money he wants us to."

All this despite a cast which includes Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton and Tom Wilkinson, who between them have performed with a north American twang in so many films that one suspects the average cinemagoer Stateside won't have a clue they are from Glasgow, London and Leeds respectively.