Cornish film maker hopes to bring the story of the Plymouth cat to the big screen through crowd-funding
Casper the Commuting Cat and his 11-mile daily bus trip captured the hearts of millions, but it was his untimely death by a hit and run driver, that pushed his fame to even greater heights with a huge outpouring of grief around the world.
His owner, Sue Finden, was so touched by the response that she wrote a book about his adventures. The book quickly became a bestseller and has been translated into a number of languages including; Spanish, Indian, Russian & Mandarin Chinese.
Now, Cornish filmmaker Mark Collicott, at Whitechapel Films, has co-written a screenplay adaptation and is making one final push to get the money to make the story into film, by launching a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.
The film is set to be a full-length live action feature. A light-hearted dramatisation of Casper’s life and how his owner, Sue Finden, copes with his sudden rise to international stardom. Sue is delighted to see Casper’s story being made into a movie.
“We are very proud a film is being made about him," she says. "We moved around a lot; he was always off somewhere. We never knew where and we had no idea at the time how much he loved anything on wheels. The bigger the better! We moved house many times and wherever we went he made himself known. He really did touch so many people’s hearts with an aura which very difficult to describe. In a world where there is a lot of sadness and loneliness, everyone needs a little bit of Casper in their lives”.
“We’ve been lucky enough to raise money through private investors and engage a highly respected and talented cast and crew, but we need just £20,000 more to give this film the production values it deserves," explains director, Mark Collicott. "We are excited at the idea of doing this through Kickstarter, as it gives us the opportunity to open up the project to the wider community.
After a nationwide search the film company have found a look-a-like for Casper and the actress Veronica Roberts, whose screen career includes Emma, EastEnders, Little Britain and New Tricks, has been cast in the role of Sue Finden.
The Kickstarter campaign is now live and includes some great rewards for pledges, including; the opportunity to get a picture of you and your cat on the credits and also a small part in the film. Whitechapel films is also keen to engage local businesses with product placement sponsorship opportunities
If the campaign is successful, filming is due to start in Plymouth during September 2014.
kickstarter.com/projects/1640253267/casper-the-commuting-cat
