As Head of Acquisition and Development as New Sparta Films, this was the first project selected. It was certainly unlike any other script I had ever read before! Full of innovation, based on a compendium of 16th century Italian gothic fairy tales, populated by a cast including Salma Hayek, Toby Jones, John C Reilly and Vincent Cassell, and laced with stunning visual imagery (see some of the banner visuals on the site), it was an extraordinary artistic endeavour. Helmed by the Italian auteur Matteo Garrone and produced by the celebrated Jeremy Thomas of Recorded Picture Company, the film premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival.