Montreal: Preproduction has halted on Dog of Flanders, a us$12 million feature film slated to begin principal photography in Montreal May 14.

According to Carole Mondello, the shoot’s pm, $250,000 to $300,000 in unpaid salaries and service bills have been left behind following the departure of the film’s American line producer and director.

Most of the money went into building an elaborate Flanders set, circa 1830. Unpaid crew salaries are in the order of $130,000.

Dog of Flanders is a Jaguar Productions feature film. Jaguar president Kevin Brodie is the film’s director.

According to Mondello, the Flander’s budget was in jeopardy because of late payments and the likelihood of having to work seven days. She says despite not being paid for two weeks (plus wrap), the crew carried on ‘because of the reputation of Mr. Frank Yablans, the shoot’s American coproducer.’

Yablans is a former top executive with Paramount and a principal with Adventuress Productions of l.a.

When payment didn’t arrive, Mondello says Yablans personally addressed the Flanders crew on a speaker phone, thanking them for their trust. He asked them to hang in and promised quick payment.

According to Lloyd Korn, an executive with Adventuress, the Flanders shutdown is a non-story.

‘There have been some developmentswe met with Kevin (Brodie) this weekend and I think everything has been taken care of. We’re in the process of conducting an audit – what obligations there are, what’s been paid and hasn’t been paid – and I think within the next couple of days we’ll be making an announcement which I think will be to everybody’s satisfaction.’

Pierre Lafrance, union director with the stcvq, says, ‘We hope the issue is straightened out soon and the shoot returns to Montreal this fall. For the moment, we think they’re operating in good faith. If we’re wrong, we’ll take steps.’

According to Mondello, Flanders had ‘the best team in town,’ a blue-chip crew made up of dop Guy Dufaux, art director Francois Seguin and costume designer Renee April.

Flanders was initially prepped in the trade press, and to the stcvq, as a Jaguar/Kingsborough Greenlight Pictures production, with Pieter Kroonenburg and Yablans producing.

Kroonenburg told Playback the shoot’s certified status changed when Brodie decided to rewrite the screenplay and take over the writer’s credit. Kroonenburg said he then introduced Brodie to Yablans, and subsequently had no association with the project.

According to Korn, ‘Pieter (Kroonenburg) wrote us and told us he doesn’t want to be part of this anymore.’

‘Here’s the thing,’ says Korn. ‘It’s great to go to the press and whine to everybody. You’re not helping anybody. Motion pictures have been known to be delayed from time to time, for nobody’s fault.’

Lafrance says the bills have to be paid, adding the union rarely has problems with u.s. location shoots.

By the time Mondello closed the production office, the union had not asked for a deposit.