Producer Rob Merilees of Vancouver’s Infinity Features and director Charles Martin Smith wrapped the Canada/U.K. copro Stone of Destiny in Glasgow, Scotland and London on Aug. 10. It is their second feature collaboration, following 2003’s acclaimed The Snow Walker.

The pair met in 1998 through Infinity producer William Vince (Capote), who worked with Smith on the highly successful family film Air Bud, which the actor-turned-director helmed in 1997. Merilees and American ex-pat Smith — best known to audiences for his roles in American Graffiti and The Untouchables — were coproducers on the drama Here’s to Life! (2000) and the action comedy Dead Heat (2002) prior to Snow Walker, which Smith also penned. It nabbed nine Genie nominations.

‘He is a pleasure to work with… we’ve developed a mutual respect and a shorthand that makes the process as smooth as it can be,’ Merilees says via e-mail from Hong Kong, where he is currently prepping the sci-fi feature Push with Mel Gibson’s Icon Productions.

The $13-million adventure/comedy, based on the Ian Hamilton book The Taking of the Stone of Destiny, follows the true story of four Scottish university students who hatch a plan to break into London’s Westminster Abbey and retrieve the ancient Stone of Scone as a gesture of defiance to British rule. It stars Robert Carlyle (Human Trafficking, Trainspotting), Billy Boyd (The Lord of the Rings), Kate Mara (Shooter), and Charlie Cox (Stardust). Merilees produces with Andrew Boswell of London-based The Mob Film Company.

The 30-day shooting schedule included two days in London’s famed Westminster Abbey, while the rest of the shoot took place in and around Glasgow, with locations including the University of Glasgow and the historic Arbroath Abbey.

Destiny is the first feature to get to shoot inside Westminster Abbey in 50 years. ‘It was challenging,’ Merilees recalls. ‘It’s a location of such historic significance that we had to be very careful and respectful of it. We also had to double two different Scottish abbeys for Westminster, and match it when we were actually there.’

The shoot was ‘fairly smooth,’ Merilees adds, though some of the challenges included sudden and unexpected torrential rains in Scotland, the unfavorable exchange rate, and differences in Canadian and U.K. shooting styles.

‘It’s a bit of a tough transition… In Scotland they shoot 10-hour days, while Canadian crews are used to 12-hour days,’ he says, adding that despite these differences, the cast and Scottish crew were ‘amazing.’

Post-production is underway at Infinity, Technicolor and DBC Sound in Vancouver, to be completed by March. Alliance Atlantis is attached as distributor in Canada, while Arclight Films will handle international sales.

Merilees says the team is eyeing next year’s Cannes Film Festival to premiere Stone of Destiny, opening theatrically later in 2008.