We've been hearing a lot of the Michael Hutchence biographical film and what it might or might not show, whether or not the family are happy about the film, and so on, but no one has heard from the filmmakers themselves, until now. Filmstalker received a comment from one of the Producers intent on clearing up the alleged controversy about the film.

From a a previous story, Producer Clark Westerman leaves an open letter concerning the rumours to date.

We thought we would respond to the concerns and misconceptions the true fans have, as well as the incorrect information that are being floated WW, and felt a direct touch to the fans instead of a formal statement issued via press would be best and more personal.

We realize at the core all of the energy, activity and emotion distills down to you all -the fans- wanting what we will deliver... a great film.

His words seem very heartfelt and honest, and he tells us a lot about the rumours about the issues with the family as well as strongly defending the Director of the film Nick Egan who has come under quite a bit of fire since the project was announced. He also talks about what other people may be covered in the film and the stars involved rumours.

I have to say it's a very encompassing letter and it tells us a lot about the intentions of the people behind this project and I'm even more interested than I was hearing these very rumours he talks about. I've had a quick chat with Clark and he's cool with the Filmstalker coverage so far, so here's hoping that we keep chatting and he gives us a few exclusives...when the time is right. In the meantime, the full letter is included in the full article.

An Open letter Regarding 'Slide Away' The Michael Hutchence Biopic From: The Producers

To All,

We tried to respond directly to these issues on Tina Schorr's Site (Michael's half-sister), but were blocked from garnering membership.

We thought we would respond to the concerns and misconceptions the true fans have, as well as the incorrect information that are being floated WW, and felt a direct touch to the fans instead of a formal statement issued via press would be best and more personal.

We realize at the core all of the energy, activity and emotion distills down to you all -the fans- wanting what we will deliver... a great film.

First let's deal with assertions made regarding Director, Nick Egan:

Up to this point, in varied media and such article's alleged quotes, we chalked family (read 'Tina's')negative wording up to misquotes as we have been heavily misquoted on this project and initially believed so had she. But...

1. On a public board such as this that is direct from source and that also carries disclaimers that no postings shall be of a nature that every member will (and I'm pasting her site's charter):
" not post any material which is false, defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, hateful etc..."

under such rightful edicts, I/we was/were saddened to see Nick described as folows:
"Nick Egan has in fact been very unkind in most of his interviews and in fact was not as close to him as he professes to be." -TINA HUTCHENCE

"He is not a credible director - his shtick is art direction....very different from Movie director. " -TINA HUTCHENCE

I won't comment as to why the latter is defamation as it is obvious, and Nick Egan reserves his right to comment or take any action based on such defamation.

I will however respond regarding the inaccuracy of such publicly posted comments.

Nick came up through Propaganda/Satelitte the premier Director's collective that hatched Spike Jonez, David Fincher, Michael Bay, Antoine Fuqua and such. Nick has directed over 50 commercials and videos and 'Slide Away' will be his third feature film of a budget over $15MM. Nick is part and parcel of Thirty Frames Per Second
a Documentary of the world most influential Directors with an intro by Michael Stipe, and including Directors (in addition to Nick) such as Jonas Akerlund, Anton Corbijin, Glazer, Godley & Creme and Herb Ritts.

Now, if you want to get down and into it. I think we all agree portrait artist, Herb Ritts is one of the greats.

Ritts also did some cool videos. NEVER Directed a feature. Does that mean he couldn't have or wouldn't have been brilliant?

Unfortunately we'll never know.

Egan, who re-broke Duran the second time around DIRECTING and conceptualizing 'Ordinary World' (and is very good pals with JT and Nick Rhodes-and when I say 'good pals' John was at Nick's wedding), and whom did fantastic videos with Oasis, Broke Alannis, is great pals with Sex Pistols members, Pysch furs members grew up with the gals from Bananarama and on is so obviously not an Art Director these days it is laughable. Was he ever an AD? Yeah. For legends Vivienne Westwood and Malcom Mclaren. Not your average mentors.

Is he still sought after for album covers? Sure
as they are usually kick ass but that's not his bag anymore. The brilliant Robin Nixon was Art Director on most of Nick's videos and commercials. Robin is also a Director now.

People progress.

It is wise to have Nick Egan do your album Design work (if he likes you or digs your work) as well as videos so the 'message' matches. Bet your ass he'll be doing the Marquee poster designs for Slide Away. We'd be stupid not to do that.

But let's chat films. Before 'Seven' Fincher was not on the radar. Does that mean Fincher didn't have the skills?

Egan has Directed an 8MM sterling film that starred Kietel, Madsen, Cillian Murphy, Tricky...etc...The film will not be released due to legal issues pertaining to the financiers of that project. Many films for a gazillion reasons never see the light of day- that is the nature of our business.
Same in music.

Fiona Apple's brilliant recently released album sat and collected dust for a few years until record execs got their collective heads out of their asses. Max Q and Michael's solo album did not get the proper marketing pushes each deserved. All varied content certainly, but all very good content.

If one is not acquainted with film, here's a nugget regarding such: a Director has to initially pick and choose the right vehicle(s) to begin his 'Brand' as a Director.

I think what you'll see in 'Slide Away' will please most. We can't please everyone but then on any high profile film you just can't appease everyone. Love it or hate it you'll have a reaction. Two agencies in town who know Egan's brilliance are falling over themselves to supply talent.

Addresing Nick being 'unkind' to Michael's memory in an interview. If you met the man you'd know how sensitive and kind Nick is. He's also truthful to a fault. Has Egan been misquoted? and have interviews been edited to spin negative? YEP.

The media are great at this. The Hutchence family know this well as all have been manipulated and misquoted. Says so in 'Just A Man ' quite a bit.

I was present for Nick's recent interviews. He spoke wonderfully about Michael for about 45 mins. The real barbed questions were unveiled and only those -out of context and misquoted- were used-which of course was that newsman's agenda. If asked if Michael did drugs or somesuch, Nick answered truthfully and in alignment with what already is public knowledge. He was not seeking to be sensationalist or salacious in any manner.

We have an apology from The Times Reporter, via e-mail we'd be most happy to post verifying Nick was fucked in the interview.

Everybody takes a misstep.

On (Tina's) web site, if you continue to read through its posting policies, states: "...This is not only humorous, but legal actions can be taken against you."

I am sure no one managing or owning (Tina's) site thinks defamation is humorous.(Nick Egan certainly does not) But that's how it presently reads (and has read for months) uncorrected.

The assertion Nick Egan was less of a friend than has been stated? Well, 'Best pal' is the usual tag and has been used since 2000. Was Nick Michael's best friend? Probably No. Only Michael can say. Nick was however a very good and close friend who worked closely with Michael all through Kick and X, the release of single, Suicide Blonde and thru Max Q on both varied videos and album design.

Nick took private trips with Michael and Helena alone, lived with Michele Bennet and traveled with Michael a lot documenting and playing. Nick's phone messages he saved, written correspondences and personal videos conclusively show the two had great talks and that Michael shared his private world with Nick. I don't know a lot of Directors that become personally friendly with their clients. Nick has that attraction and does so with most. As listed above, it is certainly likely if all these other talents are personal as well as professional friends of Nick's, that it is viable he made such a bond with Michael.

I'll remind all that even in 'Just a Man' Nick is well described, and as a good friend to boot.He is also one of the close knit crew who held a memorial for Michael in LA (as is also mentioned in Tina's book).

Turning the issue around of how well Nick knew Michael. Michael was on the road for nearly 20 years straight seeing family infrequently (Rhett being the exception) as was the same with all members of the band or any band for that matter.

Those in it for the long haul on tours or working with Michael and other band members and subsequently becoming friends would have the best insights into that time period. In 'Just A Man' such infrequent interaction with family is obvious if you peel apart the dates. In addition, until we share the story direction and script
no one should be making sweeping assumptions about what we're doing right (or wrong). JFK, Elephant, Walk The Line, Good Night & Good Luck 13 Days (not a biopic) ALI and many more usually focus on the adult life of the subject.

Further, we certainly have been in touch with ALL integral family members. Most support us. Most. Including Rhett whom Nick speaks with near daily (and if you also read Rhett's book you'll note Nick's name comes up a few times there as well). Including Michaels reps, including Kelland's wide, Suzie. We were also discussing working with Tina's involvement as well (and were told Tina spoke for Patricia), via telephone I spoke with Tina, we communicated via Tina's representative and via her lawyers and publishers. But Tina broke off those discussions for reasons I'll withold comment on. So all family members being in an 'uproar' about this was just spin to sell papers.

Is the Project tossing talent names around with abandon as has been alleged? No. We have a good idea who we can and will tag.

Nick also said 'Talent x' OR 'talent Y', OR 'Talent Z' and of course the press combined the whole thing into an Uber cast that made little sense.

The media question for EVERY FILM is who:
a) Directs
b) stars
c) distributes

usually a film isn't seen as newsworthy enough to include such responses until its in theatres and the earlier interview material is dredged up later in successive articles or trivia.

Nick was asked, off the cuff, in his mind who he thought might be good. Having said that, do we care what the majority reaction is? Sure. If one of the ideas for a part is " Talent Z," and Talent Z is universally savaged then that test balloon saved the production a lot of money.

The Geena Davis 'Commander in Chief' TV show? That's a test balloon if ever there was one. Doesn't matter which party she represents and doesn't matter that the Bloodworth -T's didn't produce it. Its still has an impact on the American psyche when they consider voting for a female President next election.

Is it a good idea for a family to produce their own Biopic? Contribute yes. Produce? Well, think about this. All family views in this situation (and usually any family) are wildly divergent. Who is correct? All? None? Some? Its like a Kurosawa...all witnesses to the same event but massively different views. Being somewhat removed from the process is probably best.

Name a great biopic that the family are more than consultants.Zero. Name biopics where not all family bless the project but they are still good.Many.

"He says he is looking for people to play Paula, Bob and Michael...that was only the last 2 years of his life. Also mentions 'hedonistic' I can see where this is going..."-Tina Hutchence

NOT including Paula and Bob in some fashion would be a little strange. The press invented the Kate Moss story 100%.

Aside from the varied articles being misrepresentative, and had Nick been quoted in them in full it would have read fine. But One can chop up small excerpts from anything-'Just A Man'- for example, and make its author look like they aren't Michael supporters.

Would it be fair if out of all the great stuff Tina wrote that it got distilled down to the negatives in press quotes (or as Tina mentions happened in her Media interview?):
"(michael) seemed to have an angry aura-a darkness" (p.108.)
I had heard that Michael had said some unflattering things about the family( 135)
"Who is going to play me?" Recent press 'interview.'
"at a time when the popularity of the band was on a decline" (156)
"as much as he loved his jetsetting lifestyle"(157)
Taken out of context these don't play brilliantly either.

Look at any biopic, take 'Walk The Line.' Just how much does Walk The Line focus on Johnny as a child? And perhaps not being familiar with film, a picture focusing largely on Michael's childhood is 100% not interesting to financiers or Distribs.

Nick was there personally with Michael at a time we DO want to focus on so he got it horses mouth or documented on film.

There is a lot of source material(letters, VM's and on camera silliness about what Michael feels about life, loves, friends and family so we've got a pretty good handle on things. And even that isn't perfect. Supported by other family and co-workers recollections we have a good basis.

Everyone inserts their own bias and ego and perspective into any situation. Its human nature. A good writer distills all such into a solid story.

What Else is not correct as has been asserted?

"As we all know Kell is no longer with us and his 'estate' is Susie and she has not even spoken with these people."-Tina H

Actually she has. And Tina knew this as she called Susie.

We were "tossing out names to raise $."
Look at my IMDB bio. We have equity investors that we regularly deal with. My company was initially upstarted by Deutsche Bank private equity investors. The last $20 MM film I just developed and sold holds top Hollywood writers and actors that obviously require big paydays. Keep an eye on the media as we're also buying rights to a top US bestseller. These things don't just happen by accident.There are vetting processes. My Producing partner has 20 years in the business. He's worked on Alfie, Cold Mountain Stars Wars, Shaun of the Dead and on...

Tossing out the names of talent we like doesn't mean money for the project. That's just silly. It doesn't work like that.

A great concept, script, holding proper rights for particular content and a great production team
is what locks production financing.

And what else is inaccurate?
I am supposedly pals with "Omar Aviles of The Hollywood news" and Omar did a crap job of reporting accurately.

No. This is where the fan repeating a garbled story' got it nearly as wrong as the media. Omar did a crap job of reporting? True. Very crap.

Read this carefully: "Source: The Hollywood News by: Omar Aviles on joblo.com" or any other site means that site (joblo or moviefan or yahoo.com) has sourced the original story from "The HollywoodNews."

That does not mean that the site who has picked up the article they have understood or transposed the original story with any accuracy.

Omar Aviles has nothing to do with The Hollywood News. Never heard of him. And his article was not the original. The folks at the Hollywood News-the originators are indeed friends.

I trust them as they have never screwed me on story.
The Hollywood news not doing the story would have simply meant our PR person would have rung a few days later with The Times interview, The Mail interview, The EW etc... and on and on...The Hollywood news do a good job and don't screw people. That doesn't mean they aren't objective.

The original article...that was erroneously sourced is found this hyperlink [The Hollywood News] please take looks at it and tell us what is inaccurate. Next time, please be sure about the accuracy of what has incited you to write.

It is beyond our control when the press goof or decide to invent fiction. But as we've seen throughout this missive, we ALL are not perfect.

And the big message here should be: Don't believe everything you read. There is a reason Michael established a trust when he was alive.

There are reasons for a lot of this convoluted story. Just wait until you see the film. What you believe now may not be what you believe after.

We're very glad to see that there is such a volume of caring, love and emotion for Michael and his memory.

We too are also very positive about the project, we are striving for accuracy. Everyone involved has a love for the man, the music and for film. And it would be nice if everyone were behind the effort, but that's not how the world works.

Thanks For Reading
Clark Westerman
Producer
Slide Away-The Michael Hutchence Biopic

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