Madeleine McCann: Not A Film, A Book And The McCanns Making Money
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
DAILY EXPRESS front page: “Madeleine’s parents planning Hollywood blockbuster movie”
“Kate and Gerry sparked outrage after it was revealed they have held negotiations with leading producers over the movie rights. The couple – who are prime suspects in the case – are also considering book and TV deals in a package worth an estimated £10million”
A book? Like the Daily Express book? That sick..?
Kate McCann: Michelle Pfeiffer
Gerry McCann: James Caan
Madeleine McCann: Macaulay Culkin
And what of this £10million, and the money earned from any film? “The windfall would help finance the search for Madeleine after concerns were raised that a special fund set up by the family was in crisis”
Page 5: The Find Madeleine fund is down to its last £400,000. More money is needed. So why the “outrage”?
Says the McCanns’ spokesman Clarence Mitchell: “We need money to search for Madeleine and that is the most important thing. Nothing has been decided yet. A film would be made on a percentage basis, with part of the profits going to the fund. None of the money would go to Kate and Gerry. They are not trying in any way to profit out of her name’’
And how many films ever make a profit? It would be a film, perhaps, like that about 15-year-old Amy Smart, abducted in the US and found eight months later. “Several movies were made about her while she was missing including The Amy Smart Story”
The “WORLD’S GREATEST NEWSPAPER” does not say if the Amy Smart story made any money. But it does trawl the web and see blog comments like:
“Angry” Pamela Blears, from Oldham, posts: “From the day little Madeleine disappeared I have felt sympathy and compassion for the McCanns but this beggers belief. How can they think about making a film out of the tragedy when the poor child hasn’t even been found yet? How low can you get?”
The Daily Express costs “ONLY 40p”
“McCANNS FEAR CHARGES SOON” – “A source close to the family” tells us: “Kate and Gerry insist they are innocent but they fear they will be charged. Naturally Kate and Gerry are concerned that if this line of inquiry continues to its natural conclusion, charges are always a possibility and they know that’s entirely wrong”
He added: “The Portuguese police seem to be blinkered in their approach and it feels like they want to find the McCanns guilty regardless.”
DAILY STAR front page: “MADDIE: THE £10M MOVIE – Skint parent to sell film rights”
Skint? The Find Madeleine Fund is dwindling, down to its last “£200,000”. But Gerry McCann is going back to work. He is, as the tabloids never tire to telling us, “a heart consultant”. She is a “GP”
Says the Star: “The couple – who are prime suspects – are in negotiations with the world’s biggest talent and entertainment agency IMG”
IMG – International Management Group– has produced the films Touching the Void, Assault on Waco, Seconds from Disaster, I Shouldn’t be Alive and Kevin and Perry Go Large. Naomi Campbell is on the books
Any film would be an “observational documentary following the on-going search for Madeleine,” says IMG
Pages 4 and5: “Thousands blast ‘sick’ plan”
A poll: “WOULD YOU GO AND WATCH MADDIE: THE MOVIE?” Yes? No? Or I’ve already seen tonight With Trevor McDonald, thanks?
“Ester out in crisis” – TV presenter Esther McVey has resigned her post as a director of the Find Madeleine fund
DAILY MAIL front page: “MADDIE’S PARENTS PLAN £2M FILM DEAL”
“Kate and Gerry McCann could make £2million from a film deal over the story of their daughter’s disappearance, it has been claimed”
Not £10m? Such are the perils of showbiz?
Says the paper: “So far the McCanns, both 39, have turned down offers from big-name chat shows and television dramas as they were anxious to avoid being seen as celebrities”
But we watching the parents. So why not make profit, if it will help?
“Disgraced banker Nick Leeson earned a reported £450,000 when he sold the rights to his autobiography, Rogue Trader. Offers to Austrian kidnap victim Natascha Kampusch were said to have topped £1million”
And: “But Gerry McCann was quick to deny the story”
COMMENT: “Maddie the movie: One step too far – Ever since their daughter Madeleine disappeared, Kate and Gerry McCann have ridden a wave of public sympathy. True, there are some (including the Portuguese police) who have aired deeply hurtful suspicions about the couple since that terrible evening in May. But the overwhelming public mood - particularly among parents of young children - has been one of compassion. Today, however, the McCanns risk losing much of that goodwill. Incredibly, it emerges that they are discussing a possible multi-million pound deal to turn Madeleine’s disappearance into a film. To be blunt, isn’t this pushing the boundaries of taste too far?”
But it is already the subject of a media circus. So why not a DVD – we’ve had the T-shirt, the song, the billboards and the trailers..?
ALISON PEARSON writes in her column: “What CAN Kate and Gerry be thinking? Critics who have never forgiven Gerry and Kate for leaving their kids alone in their holiday apartment will be confirmed in their view that the couple have truly terrible judgment. They will be accused of bad taste; of lacking respect for Madeleine’s memory. Kate will be charged with wanting to swan down the red carpet, even though in this case it is sorrow, not vanity, that has reduced her to a Hollywood Size Zero”
How did it become a story about Kate McCann’s looks?
DAILY MIRROR front page: “Maddy THE Movie”
The McCanns also met with ITV about making a documentary. Maddy A Movie…
THE SUN front page: “Maddie hunt ‘to be film’”
Page 9: “ They pary that movie will help find Maddie”
Gerry McCann is a “cardiac specialist”. The McCanns are “doctors”
“IS THIS THE RIGHT DECISION?”
“YES,” says Lorraine Kelly, GMTV presenter.
“NO,” says the Sun’s Jon ‘Guanty’ Gaunt - “I guess the title of the McCann’s proposed film has to be Home Alone”. Or not…
THE GUARDIAN: “McCanns deny reports of Madeleine film”
Writes Gerry McCann on his blog: “We can categorically deny that we are considering a movie about Madeleine’s disappearance. This is simply untrue. We are approached by a huge number of media outlets regarding a myriad of projects, only a tiny proportion of which we agree to. Each proposal is considered on whether it is likely to have a positive effect, either directly or indirectly, on the search for Madeleine”
ON the Guardian website: “Madeleine’s parents consider film - The parents of Madeleine McCann are considering giving the go-ahead to a film about their missing daughter following an approach by a major entertainment firm”
THE TIMES page 3: “Parents may turn Madeleine McCann story into a Hollywood movie”
“On-screen child horror stories:
A Cry In The Dark
Gone Baby Gone
Honour Thy Father And Mother: the True story of the Menendez Brothers
Menenedez: A Killing in Beverly Hills, 1994
The Amityville Horror series
Everybody’s Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure”
Says Clarence Mitchell: The media are making money out of the situation themselves and we feel it is only fair and right that some aspect of that should come to the fund to help find Madeleine”
DAILY TELGRAPH: “McCanns in talks to make a film about AMdldine’s disappearance”
“Do you think a Madeleine film should be made”
Well, we;’ve had the sop opera, and who wants to watch EastEnders: The Movie?
THE SCOTSMAN: “McCanns eye Madeleine film”
BOSTON HERALD: “Missing Madeleine story could become feature film”
The speculation, media hype and sensation so far
Posted: 9th, January 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (1,585) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
- eggman on Daily Mail Scuppers BBC’s Wrong Shipping Forecast
- agw on Daily Mail Scuppers BBC’s Wrong Shipping Forecast
- Bat E Bird on I’m A Celebrity: Samantha Fox Is Shrinking As ‘Lesbian’ Lover Katie Price Quits
- Bat E Bird on In Photos: Susan Boyle Sings Rockefeller Center Plaza In New York City
- yampster on Daily Mail And Tax Payers’ Alliance Attacks BBC Over Its Free Trees For A Better Planet
January 9th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
1470
RedRooster !!!!!
You stole Garth’s line
January 9th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
1464
Sledgehammer
Apologise for what? The subject you brought up tonight for no apparent reason( except your own beliefs perhaps) Just remember Sledgehammer=small, flat headed tool
January 9th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
1460 Sledgehammer Says: January 9th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
One other strange piece of Portuguese strategy, we have probably the biggest crime story any where for many years so what do they do, they question the three main suspects on different days and allow KM to retain her mobile during her interview, very strange proceedure.
+++++++++++++++++
Yes, Justine McGuiness has said that they were texting updates during breaks. Why would that be so wrong? No one had been charged?
January 9th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
1464
Sledgehammer Says:
January 9th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
…………………..
and your bloody hilarious
now why do you sod off you plonker 
January 9th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Some doggerel, which expresses my opinion only and is meant in a satirical vein:
Gerry McCann does what he can,
And it’s all become a trial.
He works all day
In his own special way
In all sorts of denial…
“I didn’t do this and you’re wrong about that,
‘Cause virtue is my style…
I’m a doctor, you know, which means you see,
That I can’t be that vile.
I’m a doctor, you know, which means you see,
That I can’t be that vile.”
“The PJ really has no clues,
And that’s my firm denial.
And ditto for the bodily fluids
That wound up in the boot…
How they got there I don’t know,
But boy!, Was I surprised,
I’m sure that my daughter was never there;
Her blood just materialised.
I’m sure that my daughter was never there;
Her blood just materialised!”
January 9th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
1465 Abraham Zapruder.
I’m with you all the way!
January 9th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Where is Maddie?
January 9th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
1463
Michael Says:
January 9th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
looks like this case is finally coming to the just end
………………………..
still a way to imo but the tide is definitely turning. And about bloody time
January 9th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Sledgehammer 1388
I’m all for checks and balances, Court systems that strive to protect the innocent, even if that leads to a situation where there has to be a mountain of hard evidence showing the accused to be as guilty as hell before there is any chance of a conviction. What happened to Stefan Kiskco was unforgiveable. But of course this leads to a twin-track system once the media gets involved - and so alongside the court process we have trial by media. When Sally Clark came out of the Court of Appeal one of the first things she said was something like “There will still be people who say ‘conviction quashed doesn’t mean she didn’t do it.’”
So, what would I think in the hypothetical situation of the McCanns being charged, tried and cleared? It’s a difficult one to answer, it would depend on what facts came out and the manner of the acquittal. Rightly or wrongly, it seems that the McCanns are already in something of a Sally Clark situation, but on a worse scale because of the greater publicity. Who knows where all this will end?
I try to ignore what may be unreliable facts, but my present views come about as a result of a number of hard facts such as:
1. Maddy went missing 2 or 3 May.
2. It would be very rare for abduction of a 3 year old to be carried out by a stranger so cleverly as to leave no trace. It would have to be someone like a paedophile ex-copper or SAS officer with a thing for very young girls and no regard for the risks - highly unlikely.
3. The local priest and Catholic church supported the McCanns at first, but have now publicly withdrawn that support.
4. Kate McCann has not returned to work as a GP, despite the obvious positive publicity this would bring if she did.
5. Publicly, e.g. Gerry’s blog and TV appearances, the McCanns have not behaved at all like parents in “comparable” cases where a child has gone missing e.g. Soham.
By all means pull me apart on the above if you wish, this is a debating forum after all.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Ciara-Louise, you don’t even have the good manners to apologise, at least Karen is funny if cheeky.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
looks like this case is finally coming to the just end.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
1458
Matt. Says:
January 9th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
1455…RedRooster
Certainly overpaid
……………………..
yeah by about 74 grand imo
January 9th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
1449
RedRooster
January 9th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
One other strange piece of Portuguese strategy, we have probably the biggest crime story any where for many years so what do they do, they question the three main suspects on different days and allow KM to retain her mobile during her interview, very strange proceedure.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
1457
Ciara-Louise Says:
January 9th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
1448
January 9th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
1455…RedRooster
Certainly overpaid.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
1448
Sledgehammer
Yes, you would know such things after all you are an expert in this field of work. Like I said earlier keep up the karaoke!
January 9th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
1448 Sledgehammer Says: January 9th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Peter O, I see you use the word alleged, which is exactly the point here, there is no proof of anything except neglect , everything else is alleged, and even in a court would remain as such until a verdict was returned.
+++++++++++++++++++
So, we agree that there is no proof of the alleged actions nor intent of the Portuguese Prosecutor?
We do however have opposing opinions about where the “blame” for the current state of the investigation?
January 9th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
1451
Matt. Says:
January 9th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
1447…RedRooster
……………………
and hes getting paid 75 grand….it makes you wander doesn’t it
i heard earlier the mcs have had to call dial a rod to help with a blockage
January 9th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Sorry
This is totally off the subject, but the news tonight was full of a horror story about the rescue of 84 horses, ponies and donkeys in Buckinghamshire by the RSPCA and Redwings.
Any of you reading who feel the urge to donate to what is a genuinely good cause, as opposed to paying someone else’s mortgage - plese go to the Redwings Horse Sanctuary website.
Hope this is OK Mods and Admin.
Apologies if I’ve been really naughty here.
I won’t do it again.
Honest
:blush:
January 9th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
1444
yampster Says:
January 9th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
1441
RedRooster
Threat or Promise?
Fight Fight Fight
…………………
what me ?
January 9th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
i don’t whinge.
i act
and i have.
end of conversation.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
1447…RedRooster
Yep….he knows he has dropped a major clanger.
Has been on several TV progs today…+ James Whale Show…+ J Gaunt.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
1437 Garth Says: January 9th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
1416 Peter O Says: January 9th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
In a foreign country, strange streets, unknown people, language problems, late at night? I’ll concede we are all different. However, my first port of call would have been to ensure that someone who spoke Portuguese called the police immediately.
———————————————————–
I would have been out that apartment front door and running down the road. And I agree, I would have asked someone to call the police,but after I had calmed down a bit and come to my senses. The truth is, we werent there. We just have these time factors which we are led to believe as fact. But I dont think its an argument to use against the McCanns as a cover up. Afterall, if what you say about what you would have done in the heat of the moment, then why didnt the McCanns do the same and just phone the police straight away to make it look more convincing? And dont say ‘to give enough time so as everyone could contaminate the apartment’ like some would, because thats pathetic. The Pj would have taken at least 30 mins to get there giving plenty of time to do the damage.
++++++++++++++
Garth, I’ve long since given up trying to second guess some of the strange things the McCann’s, and some of their friends, are allegedly supposed to have done/not done. I can speculate as to why certain things may have happened, but that’s all it is, speculation.
If I was speculating why they didn’t call the police straight away, allegedly, I’d suggest it’s because they wanted the other members of the Tapas group to see the room. Yes possibly to contaminate it, but also just to act as witnesses later about the state of the room and for them to be able to confirm that nothing had been moved/altered. E.g. The shutters…. I’m assuming in this respect that not all of the Tapas group were aware of what real events may have gone on that night/day/previous night(s). I am however just speculating.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
1446
firestar Says:
January 9th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
……………………..
stop being a bloody plonker and stop bloody winging, you have brought it on yourself
January 9th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Peter O, I see you use the word alleged, which is exactly the point here, there is no proof of anything except neglect , everything else is alleged, and even in a court would remain as such until a verdict was returned.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
1443
Matt. Says:
January 9th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Clarence being interviewed by james Gaunt.
………………………..
seems like comical cant make his mind up, he was in total denial about making a film earlier on the news. He’s just dropping the mcs in deeper and deeper… as my dad used to say “stop diggin”
January 9th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
1441
RedRooster Says:
January 9th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
1431
firestar Says:
January 9th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
mods and admin
sort this please.
………………………..
not difficult to find out - your website dingbat, now stop bloody winging FFS
thanks for the info.
i didn’t give consent to it being published on here.
the website is copyright.
……………………
dont be a pratt, if you didnt want people to know where you are mr bloody smartarse then you shouldnt have jumped on the free advertising bandwagon…now shut up and stop bloody winging. And by the way i hold a grudge big man so maybe you should think before having a go at people in future as it may come back to haunt you.
that info is for the customers of a site that you have no idea is the owner.
you have assumed it is my address.
and the address is on a website that is copyright
and the owner of the address has not consented to have it published on a public forum in order to try to identify a particular poster, in order to cause that person distress or harm.
as i said, anorak will probably sort it.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
1444
yampster,
I’ve never heard before of the *sshole song, I quite liked it
January 9th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
1441
RedRooster
Threat or Promise?
Fight Fight Fight