Feature backed by Elton John

Toronto – The romantic comedy It’s a Boy Girl Thing will wrap its six-week Toronto shoot next month, moving across the Atlantic for a quick five-day wrap in the U.K. The picture is a copro by locals Prospero Pictures (Hotel Rwanda, Spider) and Rocket Pictures (Gnomeo and Juliet, Billy Elliot The Musical), the London-based production house run by Elton John. Sir Elton exec produces with Wendy Grean (Murder in the Hamptons).

The story follows two teenage rivals who inexplicably switch bodies – popular jock Woody waking up as bookish Nell, and vice versa. Kevin Zegers (Zoom’s America) and Samaire Armstrong (Just My Luck) star, joined by Sharon Osbourne, Maury Chaykin and Mpho Koaho (Four Brothers).

Director Nick Hurran (Little Black Book) is paired with DOP Steve Danyluk (Jake 2.0).

Icon Entertainment International will distribute in the U.K. and Australia, with the Canuck rights going to Motion Picture Distribution LP, which is half-owned by Alliance Atlantis. The pic is being made in association with Scion Films (The Constant Gardner) and is also exec produced by Scion’s Jeff Abberley and Julia Blackman. Sean Davidson

Grana puts on the Dog in Moncton

Moncton – Black Eyed Dog, a feature from director Pierre Gang (Selling Innocence), has begun production with a number of stars recognizable to both French- and English-speaking audiences, but according to producer Sam Grana (These Girls), the star of this show is the script.

A coproduction between Moncton’s Grana Productions and Montreal’s Saint-GlinGlin, Black Eyed Dog is a psychological thriller from first-time screenwriter Jeremy John Bouchard about a 30-year-old woman who wants to leave her small town in pursuit of a singing career, while police move into the town in search of a serial killer who recently escaped from prison.

‘Rarely have I come across a story that is as well written. It has a wonderful balance of drama and humor,’ says Grana.

Grana says casting considerations were made to attract both francophone and anglophone audiences. The film stars Sonya Salomaa (The Collector), Brendan Fletcher (Tideland), Fred Ewanuick (Corner Gas), David Boutin (La grande séduction), James Hyndman (Souvenirs intimes) and Nadia Litz (The Five Senses). Daniel Vincelette is handling DOP duties and Aube Foglia will edit.

Funding has come from Telefilm Canada, New Brunwick Film, The Harold Greenberg Fund and SODEC, with TVA Films set to distribute in Canada. The budget is around $2.6 million. Gang is also a producer, with Grana and Louise Jobin (Samuel) splitting executive producer duties.

Shooting began Oct. 3 and runs through Nov. 7 in Moncton. TVA is expecting delivery in April. Dustin Dinoff