Neil Jordan's European epic Borgia is back on its feet after partnering with Graham King's Initial Entertainment Group.
The $55m production is set to star Ewan McGregor, Christina Ricci, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Antonio Banderas and John Malkovich. Initial will handle world sales, with 20th Century Fox retaining North American rights.
The story of the notorious Renaissance family hit trouble a week ago when it emerged that sales agent Myriad Pictures and producer Stephen Woolley had split. Jeff Berg at ICM was instrumental in arranging the new financing package.
"Jeff has done a heroic job of shoring up last minute financing after we agreed to part ways with Myriad," said Jack Rapke, who produces with Steve Starkey and Robert Zemekis and Woolley.
The film will now begin shooting in October in Umbria, Italy and at Babelsberg Studios in Germany through to next February.
"It's been something of a miracle putting together a new financing package at such speed," Woolley said. "Borgia promises to be a truly spectacular European production, a UK, Irish, Italian, German co-production that will highlight the best of European talent in front of and behind the camera."
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