The CEO of Shogun Films
Interview with Jonathan Sothcott
Jonathan Sothcott is one of the UK's most experienced and successful independent producers with a track record of success with high concept, low budget genre films. Described by GQ Magazine as "a film producer behind a whole new generation of on-screen hardmen", a 2021 Sothcott profile piece in The Telegraph noted his movies "have saved our film industry."
Over the years Sothcott has worked with a galaxy of stars including Ray Winstone, Danny Trejo, Lee Majors, Mark Hamill, Jason Statham, Michael Paré, Steven Berkoff, Richard E Grant, Charlie Cox and Sir Roger Moore.
Jonathan Sothcott with actor Geoffrey Moore
Notable successes amongst his 40+ feature credits include ‘Vendetta’, ‘We Still Kill The Old Way’ and ‘Renegades’. He set up Shogun Films in 2020 as a genuine international counterpoint of independence and the company has won a slew of awards recognising it's trailblazing approach.
He has over 20 years of experience in the British film industry, and we discuss what makes a movie ‘British'?. We also discuss some of the best films of the 1980s, and the established stars at the time. We also discuss his forthcoming movie, ‘Knightfall’, currently in post-production:
“Charles Knight, a paranoid former spy catcher, must work with his estranged daughter to foil an international terrorist plot, while surviving a terrifying home invasion in this explosive espionage thriller”.
Ian Ogilvy and Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott in ‘Knightfall’ currently in post-production
Before making his name in feature films, Sothcott produced documentaries and moderated DVD commentaries for numerous cult films, including The Wild Geese.
Geoffrey Moore in ‘Knightfall’, currently in post-production
Our topics include:
Roger Moore
Roger Moore’s son, Geoffrey Moore
Ian Ogilvy - an English actor, playwright and novelist best known as the star of the television series Return of the Saint (1978–79), in which he assumed the role of Simon Templar from Roger Moore (1962-69)
The Fourth Protocol (1987) starring Pierce Brosnan and Micheal Caine, based on the 1984 book by British novelist Frederick Forsyth
The debt that modern action movies owe to traditional 007 films
The Wild Geese (1978) with Roger Moore, John Glen (second unit director) and Ewan Lloyd (producer)
Joan Armatrading wrote and recorded the theme song
Ingrid Pitt, Polish-British actress and writer, most famous for her role in ‘Where Eagles Dare’ but also appeared in The Wild Geese II
The Sea Wolves (1980), Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven
Ewan Lloyd – BFI: “Lloyd stood alone within the depressed British film industry of the late 1970s and early 1980s as a producer with the self-belief, charisma and bluff to mount large-scale independent action-adventure films, such as The Wild Geese (1978) and Who Dares Wins (1982)".
Lewis Collins, star of the TV movie, ‘Who Dares Wins’ (1982), also known as The Final Option, the star was the tabloid’s favourite for ‘next James Bond’ for some years due to his action star credentials
David Wickes, TV producer best known for his work on ‘The Sweeny’ ‘The Professionals’, and ‘CI5: The New Professionals’
Jonathan recommends the TV show, ‘Roger Moore: A Matter of Class’, which is available to watch on Youtube.
Finally, we discuss he state of the British film industry, and the way ahead.
