Documentary charts rise of boy from West Lothian village to terrific Hollywood movie director
The life of an award winning Hollywood movie director from Broxburn is being celebrated in a new documentary.
Michael Caton-Jones: This Broxburn Boy's Life is a co-production between the two Scottish production companies; Partickular Films and Two Rivers Media.
The 67-year-old grew up in the West Lothian mining village before moving to London, and studying at the UK's National Film School.
His first feature. Scandal, about the Profumo-Keeler sex scandal, became an international hit and put him in high demand.
He went on to direct a number of successful big screen movies including Memphis Belle, Doc Hollywood, Rob Roy, The Jackal, Shooting Dogs, Our Ladies, and Basic Instinct 2.
Another film he directed – This Boy's Life – saw Leonardo DiCaprio in his first major film role, with Caton-Jones instrumental in his casting.
The Scottish production companies collaborating to produce the documentary about the West Lothian man have announced that actor-producer Matthew Modine and Adam Rackoff's Cinco Dedos Peliculas production company have boarded.
The documentary includes interviews with Caton-Jones and those who worked with him throughout his career, including David Putnam, Tim Roth, Letitia Wright, Ron Perlman, Ewen Bremner, and David Hayman, as well as never-before-seen archive material from Caton-Jones' 40-year career.
Executive Producer is Alan Clements (Special Forces: Most Daring Missions narrated by Tom Hardy; Dogs of War; Cassius X: Becoming Ali; Killing Escobar).
Alan Clements, Managing Director of Two Rivers Media, said: 'Not only is this film the story of how a young, working-class man became one of the most exacting directors in the business, it tells how Hollywood embraced this driven Scot.
"We are delighted to have secured so much unique and exclusive material with which to tell this inspiring story. It is also fantastic to be working with Matthew and Adam, whose collective experience will be a huge asset to this project.'
Cinco Dedos Peliculas is a film and new media production company co-founded by actor-producer Matthew Modine with producer and former Apple marketing executive Adam Rackoff.
Modine and Rackoff have executive produced a number of award-winning films, documentaries, and animated features. Their recent documentary, Downwind, chronicles the fallout from decades of nuclear bomb testing on American soil and is narrated by Martin Sheen and features Michael Douglas, Lewis Black, and John Wayne's son, Patrick.
'I'm excited to have this opportunity to introduce Michael Caton-Jones' body of work to a new audience while also reminding folks what a terrific filmmaker he is,' said Matthew , who played Captain Dennis Dearborn in Caton-Jones' second feature, Memphis Belle.
'To this day, Rob Roy remains one of my favourite movies of the 1990s. The end sword fight might be the most realistic ever put to film,' added Modine's producing partner, Adam Rackoff.
'Michael Caton-Jones' life and filmography deserve the documentary treatment and I'm thrilled to help bring Joseph McLean's and Alan Clements' vision to the screen.'
The Caton-Jones documentary is directed and produced by Joseph McLean (River City; Cows Cash & Coverups) of Partickular Films.
He added: 'This Broxburn Boy's Life is a celebration of the talent and determination that led Michael from his home town to Hollywood. The calibre of talent we have on-screen is testament to Michael's success story and the relationships he formed over the course of his career.
"We're delighted to have Matthew and Adam onboard as Executive Producers and we've already discussed some exciting plans for filming in New York and LA.'
Also onboard are Emmy award-winning composers Roddy Hart and Tommy Reilly of Hart Reilly Music, whose recent credits include the Roger Moore documentary From Roger With Love.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
6 hours ago
- Daily Record
Blood of My Blood star Jamie Roy's inside life from failed Outlander auditions to actress girlfriend
Fans of Outlander: Blood of Blood are keen to know more about the actor Outlander: Blood of My Blood premiered to a strong start and a hugely positive fan reaction. The show continues this week and viewers are keen to know about the cast of the show, including Scottish star Jamie Roy who plays Brian Fraser and the father of Outlander's heroic Jamie Fraser (played by Sam Heughan) and has shared behind-the-scenes snaps from filming. Here's a look at the star's life, including his early years, how he lost out on a role in Outlander and who he's currently dating. Jamie Roy's early life The 32-year-old actor, who was born in Greenock on the West Coast of Scotland, before his family moved to the small town of Lenzie just outside of Glasgow. He only came to acting later on after attending business school in Glasgow and getting a business degree at Strathclyde University. After graduating he landed a desk job and decided it wasn't for him, before starting to take acting classes at night while working during the day. Roy later got the chance to move to the US after he landed a job at a firm in America, but decided to turn it down and pursue acting instead. He move to Miami, Florida in 2016 and continued to follow his dreaming of acting. He admitted to Glamour how he'd felt like an 'outsider for the longest time' as he'd not attended drama school or had any formal training apart from his 'fantastic acting classes and life'. During his time in Florida he worked on stage at Disney theme parks, which he said served as some of his 'best training' because he was in front of a stage of 1,000 people for each show. In 2019, he moved to LA and continued to act before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but afterwards he started to get some film roles as he built up his acting CV. Roy is now a US citizen according to IMDb and splits his time between Scotland and LA. Jamie Roy's failed Outlander auditions Before landing the lead in the Outlander prequel series, Roy went for the part of Militia Man Number One in season seven but failed to get the role. Roy said: 'I thought that I was going to get this role, I was pinned for it, and then didn't get it and was heartbroken.' Only later did he learn, after being cast as Brian, that he'd been dropped from the role after senior Starz TV executives wanted to keep him for Blood of My Blood - even before the show had been greenlit. He added: 'It just shows you that you never know what's happening behind closed doors and what fate has in store for you. It all worked out as it was meant to, I suppose.' Roy also revealed how he went for another part in a storyline involving Roger MacKenzie's (Richard Rankin) in Outlander, but didn't get the role either. Brian Fraser was Roy's third audition for the Outlander team. Since taking on Blood of My Blood, Roy has revealed he's received support from Heughan, who has given him a wealth of advice. "[He told] me just to appreciate every moment, even on the tough days, because it goes past so quickly,' Roy told People in a recent chat. Jamie Roy's sweet romance with fellow actress Roy has been in a relationship with fellow actress Annika Foster for five years. She previously posted a series of snaps on her Instagram account of them posing on Edinburgh's Royal Mile to mark their two-year anniversary back in 2023. Along with the sweet photos, she captioned the post: 'happy 2-year honey (mustard) ilysm [sic].' More recently, Foster shared a photo of them from Los Angeles as well as a Blood of My Blood billboard, showing her support for her partner's work. The 31-year-old American actress has starred in Meeting You, Meeting Me, The Drawing and Burning Lies. Some of her other roles include short film Perfidious, Melody, Prom Nightmare and Isolation Experiment, the latter two are in post-production. Foster's forthcoming projects include Crossing Stars and Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary. Roy and Foster worked together on the 2021 film Burning Lies in which they played love interests. Last year, the couple appeared together in the independent movie Meeting You, Meeting Me. Aside from her acting career, Foster had also worked as a part-time nanny and enjoys travelling the world, according to her interview on the Real Conversations with Jacob Young podcast. She said: 'I live in a studio apartment with my partner. And it's actually … pretty easy.' Adding: 'But I forget to go to work. I nanny on the side and I come home and he's here.' Outlander season 8 will air on Starz and MGM+ via Prime Video in early 2026
Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Noughties rock legends announce two massive Scots shows on UK tour
HUGE noughties rock legends have announced two Scottish shows as part of their world tour. The Kaiser Chiefs are hitting the road AGAIN to celebrate their hit album Employment. 3 The Kaiser Chiefs will be adding more dates to their tour Credit: Splash 3 They will be performing two new Scots gigs Credit: Getty Advertisement The 2005 release was their debut studio album and is a classic favourite of fans. Employment went on to become one of the most successful debut albums from a UK band, hitting number two on the charts. It also went seven-times platinum thanks to belters like 'Oh My God', 'I Predict A Riot'. Twenty years after Employment hit the shelves the band went on tour back to celebrate the milestone. Advertisement But after a sensational run of shows this summer, they announced more dates for the anniversary tour next year. They will take to stages across Britain next year, including two north of the border. There first gig in Scotland will be in Dundee on February 17. The band will perform in the city's Livehouse for excited fans. Advertisement They will then head south for a show at Glasgow's Barrowland Ballroom will be the another stop on the tour. They are set to rock the iconic venue on Wednesday February 18 2026. Heartbroken band pulls out of Reading and Leeds Festival after 'running out of money' The 'More Employment' tour has 12 dates lined up. Kicking off in Bradford on February 13, they will head around the country finishing in Wolverhampton - including a show at London's Eventim Apollo. Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson said: 'This summer, we played a load of shows to mark the release of our debut album 'Employment'. Advertisement "It went well. Probably better than our first summer 20 years ago. It was the year after that first year that things really took off. Kaiser Chiefs' 'Employment' February 2026 UK dates 13 – Bradford, Live 14 – Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse 15 – Stockton, Globe 17 – Dundee, Live House 18 – Glasgow, Barrowland 20 – London, Eventim Apollo 21 – Hull, Connexin Live 23 – Norwich, UEA 24 – Swansea, Building Society Arena 26 – Bournemouth, International Centre 27 – Cambridge, Corn Exchange 28 – Wolverhampton, The Halls 'So we hope you will join us in February to help celebrate with us 'the year it really took off'. "If you were with us the first time, or unfortunately missed out due to other commitments, we hope you will join us for a joyous lap of honour. "Plus, I spent quite a bit on a new blazer and want to get my money's worth'. 3 They will be performing at Glasgow's iconic Barrowland Ballroom Credit: Getty
Edinburgh Live
8 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Fringe comedian Gary Little dies as tributes flood in for 'wonderful man'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Tributes have flooded in for a beloved Scottish stand-up comedian after his sad passing. Gary Little, a regular on the stand-up circuit and a fixture at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, passed away this week, with news of his death announced on social media on Friday, reports The Record. Gary had been due to perform at the Glee Club in Glasgow on Friday and Saturday night. No cause of death has been confirmed but his sudden passing has prompted an outpouring of grief from fellow comedians and fans alike. Comedian Ray Bradshaw said: "Absolutely gutted to hear about the passing of Gary Little. A literal giant of the Scottish comedy scene. I lived with him two years in a row Australia. He was a wonderful man and helped me so much over the years. "This is my favourite photo of him. Sent it to him every birthday" Darren Connell said: "Scottish comedy lost a legend today - heart-breaking news. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. "Gary was an absolute powerhouse. He hosted my first ever gig when I was 18 years old, and after a shocker of a set, he took me aside and told me to keep my head down, work hard, and not let it get to me. "I'm glad he was kind enough to say that, and even more glad I listened. I've never forgotten it. "Life is so short. RIP Gary Little" Rob Kane wrote: "Scottish comedy and the world have lost a legend today. Gary Little I could rhyme off hundreds of stories of the times we've spent backstage and in car journeys together, the big man's stern gaze, his lack of tolerance for people over running on their time on stage, but most of all his warmth and empathy." Ronnie Black wrote: "Am in total disbelief tonight that a genuine legend of Scottish Comedy and great guy has died today whilst climbing mountains. "Gary Little is a name well known in comedy and the North of Glasgow. "I had the pleasure of watching Gary and Sean Lock on the opening weekend of Glee. I will never forget Gary spoke for 20 minutes about a frying pan. Never knew frying pans were so funny. "I couldn't post this without sharing what I believe to be one of the best pieces of visual comedy I have ever seen. "Gary the Scottish Comedy Forum: is broken hearted tonight. "RIP mate." Jo Caulfield also paid tribute on Facebook: "What terribly sad news. Gary Little was a great comic and an amazing person to spend time with. We are all poorer for losing you Gary. "My love and sympathy to his family and loved ones. I will truly miss not seeing you backstage and never hearing that big mischievous laugh. "Too soon. RIP my friend. Steven Ward added "That's a shame, Gary was a really sound guy when I met him and funny too."
