Stephen Woolley: Difference between revisions

Stephen Woolley
Stephen Woolley
Born	3 September 1956 (age 68); London, England
Occupation(s)	Filmmaker and actor
Years active	1980–present
Style	Comedy; Fantasy; Horror; Action
Spouse	Elizabeth Karlsen

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Stephen Woolley (born 3 September 1956) is an English filmmaker and actor. His career has spanned over three and a half decades, for which he was awarded the BAFTA award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema in February 2019.^[2] As a producer, he has been Oscar-nominated for The Crying Game (1992), and has produced multi-Academy Award nominated films including Mona Lisa (1986), Little Voice (1998), Michael Collins (1996), The End of the Affair (1999), Interview with the Vampire (1994), and Carol (2016). He runs the production company Number 9 Films with his partner Elizabeth Karlsen.^[3]^[4]

Career

Woolley's first film as a producer was The Company of Wolves (1984), but his career began after leaving Dame Alice Owen's School in Islington, London.^[5] In 1976 he became an usher at the venue Quentin Tarantino described as “the coolest cinema in London”, The Screen on the Green in Islington, run by Romaine Hart (OBE), at a time when its ushers wore hotpants.^[6]^[7]^[8] He then joined the exhibition arm of film collective The Other Cinema in Charlotte Street in the West End of London, before going on to own and run his own repertory cinema, The Scala Cinema, on the same premises.^[1]^[9]^[10] As part of his programming, Woolley developed Friday evenings for special events which in March and May 1980 included early live gigs by the pop group Spandau Ballet, school pals from Dame Alice's, the second being filmed for London Weekend Television's youth series 20th-Century Box.^[11]

In 1981 under Woolley's management the Scala relocated to near King's Cross railway station.^[7]^[8]^[12]^[13] At the same time he established Palace Video in partnership with Nik Powell, in the early 1980s to distribute the types of cult cinema and international art films that had been the core of his cinema programmes.^[7]^[8]^[12]^[13] Palace Video titles included David Lynch's Eraserhead (1977), Derek Jarman's The Tempest (1979), and Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo (1982).^[14] It later grew into a theatrical distribution company, retitled Palace Pictures, where Woolley was behind the UK releases of French cult film Diva (1981), Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981), Nagisa Ōshima's Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas (1984), the Coen brothers' Blood Simple (1984), Rob Reiner's When Harry Met Sally (1988) – as well as films by John Cassavetes, John Waters, Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Peter Greenaway, Fassbinder, and Bertolucci.^[15] Palace Pictures moved into film production in 1984 with its first feature The Company of Wolves – directed by Neil Jordan (the first of many films Woolley and Jordan would later make together).^[16]^[17]^[18] Palace Pictures would eventually expand their operations, opening an office in Los Angeles by 1986.^[19] Many of Palace Pictures projects were first supported by Channel 4, and Woolley also helped establish many first-time directors including Michael Caton-Jones and Richard Stanley.^[20] In 1987, the company decided to set up making American-based films, starting with Shag, which was funded by Hemdale Film Corporation with a $4.6 million budget, as well as the first miniseries and its horror picture, which became the "firsts" for the entire Palace Pictures organization.^[21] Woolley established an association with Miramax, which distributed a number of Palace films in the United States, including Scandal (1989), A Rage in Harlem (1991), Hardware (1990) and The Crying Game (1992).^[22]

Woolley had established his reputation with a series of low budget but high production value releases, but began developing more ambitious projects. After some box-office disappointments and the recession which weakened Nik Powell's parent company in 1992 Palace Pictures was forced to close.^[23]^[24]^[25] A year later, The Scala Cinema's twelve-year lease expired simultaneously as its defeat in a court case caused by an illegal screening of A Clockwork Orange, whose screening rights had been withdrawn in the UK by Stanley Kubrick in 1971, and the financial collapse of Palace precipitated its closure in 1993.^[26]^[27]^[28]

Woolley and Powell went on to found Scala Pictures, where they made Backbeat (1994), Little Voice (1998), Twenty Four Seven (1997), and a series of low budget UK features. Simultaneously, he secured a three-picture deal with Warner Brothers and made three films with Jordan after the worldwide box office hit of Interview with the Vampire.^[16] Woolley and Jordan formed a company, Company of Wolves funded by DreamWorks, where In Dreams (1999), The Actors (2003), Intermission (2003), and Not I (2000) were produced under this banner.

Number 9 films was set up in 2002, with longstanding producing partner Elizabeth Karlsen, whose films include Breakfast on Pluto (2005), How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (2008), Made in Dagenham (2010), Great Expectations (2012), Their Finest (2015) The Limehouse Golem (2016), and On Chesil Beach (2017).^[13]

Woolley's directorial debut, the 2005 film Stoned, was a biopic of Brian Jones.^[29]^[30]

Personal life

Woolley is married to fellow film producer Elizabeth Karlsen,^[31]^[32] with whom he co-founded Number 9 Films in 2002.^[13]

Filmography

As filmmaker

Mothering Sunday (2021)
Colette (2018)
On Chesil Beach (2017)
The Limehouse Golem (2017)
Their Finest (2016)
Carol (2015)
Hyena (2014)
Great Expectations (2012)
Byzantium (2012)
Midnight's Children (2012) – co-producer
Made in Dagenham (2010) – also second unit director
Perrier's Bounty (2009)
Freebird (2008)
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)
Sounds Like Teen Spirit (2008) – a documentary
And When Did You Last See Your Father? (2007)
Breakfast on Pluto (2005)
Stoned (2005) – also director
Intermission (2003)
The Actors (2003)
The Good Thief (2002)
Not I (2000) – a short
The End of the Affair (1999)
In Dreams (1999)
B. Monkey (1998)
The Butcher Boy (1997)
Welcome to Woop Woop (1997)
Michael Collins (1996)
Backbeat (1994)
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
The Crying Game (1992)
The Pope Must Die (1991)
A Rage in Harlem (1991)
The Miracle (1991)
Crossing the Line (1990)
Shag (1989)
Scandal (1989)
High Spirits (1988)
Absolute Beginners (1986)
Mona Lisa (1986)
The Company of Wolves (1984) – also executive producer
The Worst of Hollywood (1983) – TV series

As actor

References

^ ^a ^b Clarke, Donald. "How a cinema ticket-tearer teamed up with Neil Jordan and helped save an industry". The Irish Times. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
^ "Elizabeth Karlsen & Stephen Woolley – Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema". www.bafta.org. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
^ "Overview for Stephen Woolley". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ "Stephen Woolley Biography". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ "Spooky or what? When two bands went by the name of Spandau Ballet". Shapersofthe80s.com. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
^ Giles, Jane (3 January 2022). "Romaine Hart obituary". The Guardian.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Woolley, Stephen (1956–) Biography". BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Clarke, Donald. "How a cinema ticket-tearer teamed up with Neil Jordan and helped save an industry". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ Woolley, Stephen (5 August 2010). "Beyond B-movies: Recreating The Scala's movie mecca". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
^ "BFI Screenonline: Woolley, Stephen (1956–) Biography". www.screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
^ "Who was who in Spandau's break-out year". Shapersofthe80s.com. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
^ ^a ^b Woolley, Stephen (5 August 2010). "Beyond B-movies: Recreating The Scala's movie mecca". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Stephen Woolley". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ "BFI Screenonline: Letter to Brezhnev (1985)". www.screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
^ "BFI Screenonline: Letter to Brezhnev (1985)". www.screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
^ ^a ^b Fitzherbert, Henry (19 May 2013). "Box office success in Stephen Woolley's undead end jobs". Daily Express. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ "Byzantium Metropole Press Kit" (PDF). Metropole Films. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ Woolley, Stephen (17 May 2009). "How to close a movie deal at Cannes: a producer's guide". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ "London's Palace Prods. Opening In L.A.; Boyle Named Director". Variety. 18 June 1986. p. 7.
^ "VIP GUESTS & SCHOOLS". National Association for Higher Education in the Moving Image. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ Adams, Mark (20 May 1987). "First U.S.-Based Film On Sked For Revved Up Palace Prods". Variety. p. 47.
^ Woolley, Stephen (18 January 2004). "British producer Stephen Woolley says independents have a powerful friend called Harvey". The Observer. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ "The rise and fall of the film production company Palace Pictures". CINEPHILIA and FILMMAKING. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ Coleman, Caryn (20 August 2010). "Darren Banks: The Palace Collection". Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ Picardie, Ruth (5 September 1996). "Golden girl, producer, mother, babe". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ "Scala Cinema". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ "Building History". Scala. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ "La Scala". Total Production International. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ Bradshaw, Peter (21 July 2008). "Stoned". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ Sandall, Robert (11 November 2005). "Sex and drugs and Brian Jones". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (14 May 2015). "Passion project: meet the indie super-producer behind Cannes hot ticket Carol". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
^ Jaafar, Ali (2 March 2016). "'Carol' Producers Elizabeth Karlsen And Stephen Woolley On Turning Good Taste Into A Business". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 April 2016.

External links

Number 9 Films
Stephen Woolley at the British Film Institute^{[better source needed]}
Stephen Woolley at Metacritic
Stephen Woolley at IMDb

[Clarke-1] Clarke, Donald. "How a cinema ticket-tearer teamed up with Neil Jordan and helped save an industry". The Irish Times. Retrieved 18 March 2019.

[2] "Elizabeth Karlsen & Stephen Woolley – Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema". www.bafta.org. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.

[3] "Overview for Stephen Woolley". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[4] "Stephen Woolley Biography". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[5] "Spooky or what? When two bands went by the name of Spandau Ballet". Shapersofthe80s.com. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2022.

[6] Giles, Jane (3 January 2022). "Romaine Hart obituary". The Guardian.

[:0-7] "Woolley, Stephen (1956–) Biography". BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[:1-8] Clarke, Donald. "How a cinema ticket-tearer teamed up with Neil Jordan and helped save an industry". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[9] Woolley, Stephen (5 August 2010). "Beyond B-movies: Recreating The Scala's movie mecca". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 March 2019.

[10] "BFI Screenonline: Woolley, Stephen (1956–) Biography". www.screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2019.

[11] "Who was who in Spandau's break-out year". Shapersofthe80s.com. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2022.

[:2-12] Woolley, Stephen (5 August 2010). "Beyond B-movies: Recreating The Scala's movie mecca". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[huffpost-13] "Stephen Woolley". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[14] "BFI Screenonline: Letter to Brezhnev (1985)". www.screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2019.

[15] "BFI Screenonline: Letter to Brezhnev (1985)". www.screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2019.

[express.co.uk-16] Fitzherbert, Henry (19 May 2013). "Box office success in Stephen Woolley's undead end jobs". Daily Express. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[17] "Byzantium Metropole Press Kit" (PDF). Metropole Films. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[18] Woolley, Stephen (17 May 2009). "How to close a movie deal at Cannes: a producer's guide". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[19] "London's Palace Prods. Opening In L.A.; Boyle Named Director". Variety. 18 June 1986. p. 7.

[20] "VIP GUESTS & SCHOOLS". National Association for Higher Education in the Moving Image. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[21] Adams, Mark (20 May 1987). "First U.S.-Based Film On Sked For Revved Up Palace Prods". Variety. p. 47.

[22] Woolley, Stephen (18 January 2004). "British producer Stephen Woolley says independents have a powerful friend called Harvey". The Observer. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[23] "The rise and fall of the film production company Palace Pictures". CINEPHILIA and FILMMAKING. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[24] Coleman, Caryn (20 August 2010). "Darren Banks: The Palace Collection". Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[25] Picardie, Ruth (5 September 1996). "Golden girl, producer, mother, babe". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[26] "Scala Cinema". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[27] "Building History". Scala. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[28] "La Scala". Total Production International. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[29] Bradshaw, Peter (21 July 2008). "Stoned". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[30] Sandall, Robert (11 November 2005). "Sex and drugs and Brian Jones". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[31] Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (14 May 2015). "Passion project: meet the indie super-producer behind Cannes hot ticket Carol". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 April 2016.

[32] Jaafar, Ali (2 March 2016). "'Carol' Producers Elizabeth Karlsen And Stephen Woolley On Turning Good Taste Into A Business". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 April 2016.

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@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 | caption            =
 | birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1956|9|3|df=y}} <!--Per WP:DOB = Birth information must be attributed to a reliable published source and widely reported, or a source linked to the subject. Source guideline at WP:BLPSOURCES.-->
-| birth_place        = London,<ref name="Clarke">{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/how-a-cinema-ticket-tearer-teamed-up-with-neil-jordan-and-helped-save-an-industry-1.658666|title=How a cinema ticket-tearer teamed up with Neil Jordan and helped save an industry|last=Clarke|first=Donald|website=The Irish Times|language=en|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref> England
+| birth_place        = London,<ref name="Clarke">{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/how-a-cinema-ticket-tearer-teamed-up-with-neil-jordan-and-helped-save-an-industry-1.658666|title=How a cinema ticket-tearer teamed up with Neil Jordan and helped save an industry|last=Clarke|first=Donald|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref> England
 | occupation         = Filmmaker and actor
 | years_active       = 1980–present
+| style              = [[Comedy]]<br>[[Fantasy]]<br>[[Horror film|Horror]]<br>[[Action film|Action]]
 | spouse             = [[Elizabeth Karlsen]]
 }}
-'''Stephen Woolley''' (born 3 September 1956) is an English filmmaker and actor. His career has spanned over three and a half decades, for which he was awarded the [[BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award|BAFTA award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema]] in February 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bafta.org/film/features/outstanding-british-contribution-to-cinema-2019|title=Elizabeth Karlsen & Stephen Woolley – Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema|date=2019-02-08|website=www.bafta.org|language=en|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref> As a producer, he has been [[Academy Awards|Oscar]]-nominated for ''[[The Crying Game]]'' (1992), and has produced multi-Academy Award nominated films including ''[[Mona Lisa (1986 film)|Mona Lisa]]'' (1986), ''[[Little Voice (film)|Little Voice]]'' (1998), ''[[Michael Collins (film)|Michael Collins]]'' (1996), ''[[The End of the Affair (1999 film)|The End of the Affair]]'' (1999), [[Interview with the Vampire (film)|''Interview with the Vampire'']] (1994), and ''[[Carol (film)|Carol]]'' (2016). He runs the production company [[Number 9 Films]] with his partner [[Elizabeth Karlsen]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/209371%7C0/Stephen-Woolley/|title=Overview for Stephen Woolley|website=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Stephen Woolley Biography|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/stephen_woolley/biography|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref>
+'''Stephen Woolley''' (born 3 September 1956) is an English filmmaker and actor. His career has spanned over three and a half decades, for which he was awarded the [[BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award|BAFTA award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema]] in February 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bafta.org/film/features/outstanding-british-contribution-to-cinema-2019|title=Elizabeth Karlsen & Stephen Woolley – Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema|date=2019-02-08|website=www.bafta.org|language=en|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref> As a producer, he has been [[Academy Awards|Oscar]]-nominated for ''[[The Crying Game]]'' (1992), and has produced multi-Academy Award nominated films including ''[[Mona Lisa (film)|Mona Lisa]]'' (1986), ''[[Little Voice (film)|Little Voice]]'' (1998), ''[[Michael Collins (film)|Michael Collins]]'' (1996), ''[[The End of the Affair (1999 film)|The End of the Affair]]'' (1999), [[Interview with the Vampire (film)|''Interview with the Vampire'']] (1994), and ''[[Carol (film)|Carol]]'' (2016). He runs the production company [[Number 9 Films]] with his partner [[Elizabeth Karlsen]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/209371%7C0/Stephen-Woolley/|title=Overview for Stephen Woolley|website=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Stephen Woolley Biography|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/stephen_woolley/biography|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref>
 ==Career==
 Woolley's first [[film]] as a [[Film producer|producer]] was ''[[The Company of Wolves]]'' (1984), but his career began after leaving [[Dame Alice Owen's School]] in Islington, London.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/2018/05/01/2018-➤-spooky-or-what-when-two-bands-went-by-the-name-of-spandau-ballet | title=Spooky or what? When two bands went by the name of Spandau Ballet | publisher=Shapersofthe80s.com | date=1 May 2018 | accessdate=16 January 2022}}</ref> In 1976 he became an usher at the venue [[Quentin Tarantino]] described as “the coolest cinema in London”, [[The Screen On The Green|The Screen on the Green]] in [[Islington]], run by [[Romaine Hart]] ([[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]), at a time when its ushers wore hotpants.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jan/03/romaine-hart-obituary | work=The Guardian | first=Jane | last=Giles | title=Romaine Hart obituary | date=3 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/477663/|title=Woolley, Stephen (1956–) Biography|website=BFI Screenonline|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> He then joined the exhibition arm of film collective [http://www.contemporaryfilms.com/other/other.html The Other Cinema] in [[Charlotte Street]] in the [[West End of London]], before going on to own and run his own repertory cinema, [[Scala (club)|The Scala Cinema]], on the same premises.<ref name="Clarke"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/05/scala-cinema-vintage-goodwood|title=Beyond B-movies: Recreating The Scala's movie mecca|last=Woolley|first=Stephen|date=2010-08-05|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-03-18|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/477663/|title=BFI Screenonline: Woolley, Stephen (1956–) Biography|website=www.screenonline.org.uk|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref> As part of his programming, Woolley developed Friday evenings for special events which in March and May 1980 included early live gigs by the pop group [[Spandau Ballet]], school pals from Dame Alice's, the second being filmed for [[London Weekend Television]]'s youth series ''20th-Century Box''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/revolution/1980-who-was-who-in-spandaus-break-out-year/| title=Who was who in Spandau's break-out year | publisher=Shapersofthe80s.com | date=5 June 2018 | accessdate=16 January 2022}}</ref>
-In 1981 under Woolley's management the Scala relocated to near [[London King's Cross railway station|King's Cross railway station]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name="huffpost" /> At the same time he established [https://www.discogs.com/label/52661-Palace-Video Palace Video] in partnership with [[Nik Powell]], in the early 1980s to distribute the types of cult cinema and international art films that had been the core of his cinema programmes.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{cite web|last1=Clarke|first1=Donald|title=How a cinema ticket-tearer teamed up with Neil Jordan and helped save an industry|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/how-a-cinema-ticket-tearer-teamed-up-with-neil-jordan-and-helped-save-an-industry-1.658666|website=The Irish Times|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web|last1=Woolley|first1=Stephen|title=Beyond B-movies: Recreating The Scala's movie mecca|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/05/scala-cinema-vintage-goodwood|website=The Guardian|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref name=huffpost>{{cite web|title=Stephen Woolley|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-woolley/|website=[[The Huffington Post]]|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> Palace Video titles included [[David Lynch]]'s ''[[Eraserhead]]'' (1977), [[Derek Jarman]]'s ''[[The Tempest (1979 film)|The Tempest]]'' (1979), and [[Werner Herzog]]'s ''[[Fitzcarraldo]]'' (1982).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/588228/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Letter to Brezhnev (1985)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref> It later grew into a theatrical distribution company, retitled [https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b96a23030 Palace Pictures], where Woolley was behind the UK releases of French cult film [[Diva (1981 film)|''Diva'' (1981)]], [[Sam Raimi]]'s ''[[The Evil Dead]]'' (1981), [[Nagisa Oshima|Nagisa Ōshima]]'s ''[[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence]]'' (1983), [[Wim Wenders]]’ ''[[Paris, Texas (film)|Paris, Texas]]'' (1984), [[Coen brothers|the Coen brothers]]' ''[[Blood Simple]]'' (1984), [[Rob Reiner]]'s ''[[When Harry Met Sally...|When Harry Met Sally]]'' (1988) – as well as films by [[John Cassavetes]], [[John Waters]], [[Mike Leigh]], [[Ken Loach]], [[Peter Greenaway]], [[Rainer Werner Fassbinder|Fassbinder]], and [[Bernardo Bertolucci|Bertolucci]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/588228/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Letter to Brezhnev (1985)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref> Palace Pictures moved into film production in 1984 with its first feature ''[[The Company of Wolves]]'' – directed by [[Neil Jordan]] (the first of many films Woolley and Jordan would later make together).<ref name="express.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/400847/Box-office-success-in-Stephen-Woolley-s-undead-end-jobs|title=Box office success in Stephen Woolley's undead end jobs|last1=Fitzherbert|first1=Henry|website=Daily Express|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metropolefilms.com/data/ftp/Byzantium/BYZANTIUM%20metropole%20press%20kit.pdf|title=Byzantium Metropole Press Kit|website=Metropole Films|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/may/18/cannes-film-festival-producers-guide|title=How to close a movie deal at Cannes: a producer's guide|last1=Woolley|first1=Stephen|website=The Guardian|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> Palace Pictures would eventually expand their operations, opening an office in Los Angeles by 1986.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1986-06-18|title=London's Palace Prods. Opening In L.A.; Boyle Named Director|page=7|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> Many of Palace Pictures projects were first supported by [[Channel 4]], and Woolley also helped establish many first-time directors including [[Michael Caton-Jones]] and [[Richard Stanley (director)|Richard Stanley]].<ref>{{cite web|title=VIP GUESTS & SCHOOLS|url=http://nahemi.org/eatourshorts_2006/vips.html|website=National Association for Higher Education in the Moving Image|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> In 1987, the company decided to set up making American-based films, starting with ''[[Shag (film)|Shag]]'', which was funded by [[Hemdale Film Corporation]] with a $4.6 million budget, as well as the first miniseries and its horror picture, which became the "firsts" for the entire Palace Pictures organization.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Adams |first=Mark |date=1987-05-20 |title=First U.S.-Based Film On Sked For Revved Up Palace Prods. |page=47 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> Woolley established an association with [[Miramax Films|Miramax]], which distributed a number of Palace films in the [[United States]], including ''[[Scandal (1989 film)|Scandal]]'' (1989), ''[[A Rage in Harlem]]'' (1991), ''[[Hardware (film)|Hardware]]'' (1990) and ''[[The Crying Game]]'' (1992).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Woolley|first1=Stephen|title=British producer Stephen Woolley says independents have a powerful friend called Harvey|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/jan/18/features.review1|website=The Guardian|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref>
+In 1981 under Woolley's management the Scala relocated to near [[London King's Cross railway station|King's Cross railway station]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name="huffpost" /> At the same time he established Palace Video in partnership with [[Nik Powell]], in the early 1980s to distribute the types of cult cinema and international art films that had been the core of his cinema programmes.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{cite news|last1=Clarke|first1=Donald|title=How a cinema ticket-tearer teamed up with Neil Jordan and helped save an industry|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/how-a-cinema-ticket-tearer-teamed-up-with-neil-jordan-and-helped-save-an-industry-1.658666|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite news|last1=Woolley|first1=Stephen|title=Beyond B-movies: Recreating The Scala's movie mecca|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/05/scala-cinema-vintage-goodwood|website=The Guardian|date=5 August 2010 |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref name=huffpost>{{cite web|title=Stephen Woolley|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-woolley/|website=[[The Huffington Post]]|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> Palace Video titles included [[David Lynch]]'s ''[[Eraserhead]]'' (1977), [[Derek Jarman]]'s ''[[The Tempest (1979 film)|The Tempest]]'' (1979), and [[Werner Herzog]]'s ''[[Fitzcarraldo]]'' (1982).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/588228/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Letter to Brezhnev (1985)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref> It later grew into a theatrical distribution company, retitled Palace Pictures, where Woolley was behind the UK releases of French cult film [[Diva (1981 film)|''Diva'' (1981)]], [[Sam Raimi]]'s ''[[The Evil Dead]]'' (1981), [[Nagisa Oshima|Nagisa Ōshima]]'s ''[[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence]]'' (1983), [[Wim Wenders]]’ ''[[Paris, Texas (film)|Paris, Texas]]'' (1984), [[Coen brothers|the Coen brothers]]' ''[[Blood Simple]]'' (1984), [[Rob Reiner]]'s ''[[When Harry Met Sally...|When Harry Met Sally]]'' (1988) – as well as films by [[John Cassavetes]], [[John Waters]], [[Mike Leigh]], [[Ken Loach]], [[Peter Greenaway]], [[Rainer Werner Fassbinder|Fassbinder]], and [[Bernardo Bertolucci|Bertolucci]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/588228/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Letter to Brezhnev (1985)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref> Palace Pictures moved into film production in 1984 with its first feature ''[[The Company of Wolves]]'' – directed by [[Neil Jordan]] (the first of many films Woolley and Jordan would later make together).<ref name="express.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/400847/Box-office-success-in-Stephen-Woolley-s-undead-end-jobs|title=Box office success in Stephen Woolley's undead end jobs|last1=Fitzherbert|first1=Henry|website=Daily Express|date=19 May 2013 |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metropolefilms.com/data/ftp/Byzantium/BYZANTIUM%20metropole%20press%20kit.pdf|title=Byzantium Metropole Press Kit|website=Metropole Films|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/may/18/cannes-film-festival-producers-guide|title=How to close a movie deal at Cannes: a producer's guide|last1=Woolley|first1=Stephen|website=The Guardian|date=17 May 2009 |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> Palace Pictures would eventually expand their operations, opening an office in Los Angeles by 1986.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1986-06-18|title=London's Palace Prods. Opening In L.A.; Boyle Named Director|page=7|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> Many of Palace Pictures projects were first supported by [[Channel 4]], and Woolley also helped establish many first-time directors including [[Michael Caton-Jones]] and [[Richard Stanley (director)|Richard Stanley]].<ref>{{cite web|title=VIP GUESTS & SCHOOLS|url=http://nahemi.org/eatourshorts_2006/vips.html|website=National Association for Higher Education in the Moving Image|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> In 1987, the company decided to set up making American-based films, starting with ''[[Shag (film)|Shag]]'', which was funded by [[Hemdale Film Corporation]] with a $4.6 million budget, as well as the first miniseries and its horror picture, which became the "firsts" for the entire Palace Pictures organization.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Adams |first=Mark |date=1987-05-20 |title=First U.S.-Based Film On Sked For Revved Up Palace Prods. |page=47 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> Woolley established an association with [[Miramax Films|Miramax]], which distributed a number of Palace films in the [[United States]], including ''[[Scandal (1989 film)|Scandal]]'' (1989), ''[[A Rage in Harlem]]'' (1991), ''[[Hardware (film)|Hardware]]'' (1990) and ''[[The Crying Game]]'' (1992).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Woolley|first1=Stephen|title=British producer Stephen Woolley says independents have a powerful friend called Harvey|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/jan/18/features.review1|newspaper=The Observer|date=18 January 2004 |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref>
-Woolley had established his reputation with a series of low budget but high production value releases, but began developing more ambitious projects. After some box-office disappointments and the recession which weakened Nik Powell's parent company in 1992 Palace Pictures was forced to close.<ref>{{cite web|title=The rise and fall of the film production company Palace Pictures|url=http://cinearchive.org/post/96789649310/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-film-production-company|website=CINEPHILIA and FILMMAKING|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Coleman|first1=Caryn|title=Darren Banks: The Palace Collection|url=https://caryncoleman.com/darren-banks-the-palace-collection/|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Picardie|first1=Ruth|title=Golden girl, producer, mother, babe|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/golden-girl-producer-mother-babe-1361956.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/golden-girl-producer-mother-babe-1361956.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=The Independent|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> A year later, The Scala Cinema's twelve-year lease expired simultaneously as its defeat in a court case caused by an illegal screening of ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'', whose screening rights had been withdrawn in the UK by [[Stanley Kubrick]] in 1971, and the financial collapse of Palace precipitated its closure in 1993.<ref>{{cite web|title=Scala Cinema|url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2498|website=Cinema Treasures|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Building History|url=http://scala.co.uk/about/building-history/|website=Scala|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=La Scala|url=http://totalproduction.designandgo.net/production-profiles/installprofiles/83050/la_scala.html|website=Total Production International|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref>
+Woolley had established his reputation with a series of low budget but high production value releases, but began developing more ambitious projects. After some box-office disappointments and the recession which weakened Nik Powell's parent company in 1992 Palace Pictures was forced to close.<ref>{{cite web|title=The rise and fall of the film production company Palace Pictures|url=http://cinearchive.org/post/96789649310/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-film-production-company|website=CINEPHILIA and FILMMAKING|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Coleman|first1=Caryn|title=Darren Banks: The Palace Collection|date=20 August 2010 |url=https://caryncoleman.com/darren-banks-the-palace-collection/|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Picardie|first1=Ruth|title=Golden girl, producer, mother, babe|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/golden-girl-producer-mother-babe-1361956.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/golden-girl-producer-mother-babe-1361956.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=The Independent|date=5 September 1996 |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> A year later, The Scala Cinema's twelve-year lease expired simultaneously as its defeat in a court case caused by an illegal screening of ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'', whose screening rights had been withdrawn in the UK by [[Stanley Kubrick]] in 1971, and the financial collapse of Palace precipitated its closure in 1993.<ref>{{cite web|title=Scala Cinema|url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2498|website=Cinema Treasures|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Building History|url=http://scala.co.uk/about/building-history/|website=Scala|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=La Scala|url=http://totalproduction.designandgo.net/production-profiles/installprofiles/83050/la_scala.html|website=Total Production International|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref>
 Woolley and Powell went on to found Scala Pictures, where they made ''[[Backbeat (film)|Backbeat]]'' (1994), ''[[Little Voice (film)|Little Voice]]'' (1998)'', [[Twenty Four Seven (film)|Twenty Four Seven]]'' (1997), and a series of low budget UK features. Simultaneously, he secured a three-picture deal with [[Warner Bros.|Warner Brothers]] and made three films with Jordan after the worldwide box office hit of ''[[Interview with the Vampire]]''.<ref name="express.co.uk" /> Woolley and Jordan formed a company, [[Company of Wolves]] funded by [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks]], where ''[[In Dreams (film)|In Dreams]]'' (1999), ''[[The Actors]]'' (2003), ''[[Intermission (film)|Intermission]]'' (2003), and ''[[Not I]]'' (2000) were produced under this banner.
@@ Line 26: / Line 27: @@
 [[Number 9 Films|Number 9 films]] was set up in 2002, with longstanding producing partner [[Elizabeth Karlsen]], whose films include ''[[Breakfast on Pluto (film)|Breakfast on Pluto]]'' (2005), ''[[How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (film)|How to Lose Friends and Alienate People]]'' (2008), ''[[Made in Dagenham]]'' (2010), ''[[Great Expectations (2012 film)|Great Expectations]]'' (2012), ''[[Their Finest]]'' (2015) ''[[The Limehouse Golem]]'' (2016), and ''[[On Chesil Beach (film)|On Chesil Beach]]'' (2017).<ref name="huffpost" />
-Woolley's directorial debut, the 2005 film ''[[Stoned (film)|Stoned]]'', was a biopic of [[Brian Jones]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bradshaw|first1=Peter|title=Stoned|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/movie/107537/stoned|website=The Guardian|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Sandall|first1=Robert|title=Sex and drugs and Brian Jones|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3647853/Sex-and-drugs-and-Brian-Jones.html|website=The Telegraph|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref>
+Woolley's directorial debut, the 2005 film ''[[Stoned (film)|Stoned]]'', was a biopic of [[Brian Jones]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bradshaw|first1=Peter|title=Stoned|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/movie/107537/stoned|website=The Guardian|date=21 July 2008 |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Sandall|first1=Robert|title=Sex and drugs and Brian Jones|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3647853/Sex-and-drugs-and-Brian-Jones.html|website=The Telegraph|date=11 November 2005 |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref>
 ==Personal life==
-Woolley is married to fellow film producer Elizabeth Karlsen,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/14/carol-film-cannes-karlsen-cate-blanchett|title=Passion project: meet the indie super-producer behind Cannes hot ticket Carol|website=[[The Guardian]]|first=Hannah|last=Ellis-Petersen|date=14 May 2015|access-date=26 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/03/carol-producers-elizabeth-karlsen-stephen-woolley-keira-knightley-saoirse-ronan-colette-on-chesil-beach-cate-blanchett-rooney-mara-1201712939/|title=‘Carol’ Producers Elizabeth Karlsen And Stephen Woolley On Turning Good Taste Into A Business|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|first=Ali|last=Jaafar|date=2 March 2016|access-date=26 April 2016}}</ref> with whom he co-founded [[Number 9 Films]] in 2002.<ref name=huffpost />
+Woolley is married to fellow film producer Elizabeth Karlsen,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/14/carol-film-cannes-karlsen-cate-blanchett|title=Passion project: meet the indie super-producer behind Cannes hot ticket Carol|website=[[The Guardian]]|first=Hannah|last=Ellis-Petersen|date=14 May 2015|access-date=26 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/03/carol-producers-elizabeth-karlsen-stephen-woolley-keira-knightley-saoirse-ronan-colette-on-chesil-beach-cate-blanchett-rooney-mara-1201712939/|title='Carol' Producers Elizabeth Karlsen And Stephen Woolley On Turning Good Taste Into A Business|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|first=Ali|last=Jaafar|date=2 March 2016|access-date=26 April 2016}}</ref> with whom he co-founded [[Number 9 Films]] in 2002.<ref name=huffpost />
 ==Filmography==
-===As producer===
+===As filmmaker===
 {{div col|colwidth=20em}}
 *''[[Mothering Sunday (film)|Mothering Sunday]]'' (2021)
@@ Line 74: / Line 75: @@
 *''[[High Spirits (film)|High Spirits]]'' (1988)
 *''[[Absolute Beginners (film)|Absolute Beginners]]'' (1986)
-*''[[Mona Lisa (1986 film)|Mona Lisa]]'' (1986)
+*''[[Mona Lisa (film)|Mona Lisa]]'' (1986)
 *''[[The Company of Wolves]]'' (1984) – also executive producer
 *''[[The Worst of Hollywood]]'' (1983) – TV series
 {{div col end}}
+=== As actor ===
 ==References==
@@ Line 84: / Line 87: @@
 ==External links==
 * [http://number9films.co.uk Number 9 Films]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160720203313/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba0e97bc6 Stephen Woolley] at the [[British Film Institute]]{{better source needed|reason=Help request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert - if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. | date=October 2023}}
-* {{BFI|4ce2ba0e97bc6|name=Stephen Woolley}}
 * {{Metacritic person|stephen-woolley}}
 * {{IMDb name|0941262}}
@@ Line 91: / Line 94: @@
 |title = Awards for Stephen Woolley
 |list =
-{{BAFTA Best British Film recipients}}
 {{BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award}}
 }}
@@ Line 100: / Line 102: @@
 [[Category:1956 births]]
 [[Category:Living people]]
+[[Category:British film studio executives]]
 [[Category:BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award]]
 [[Category:European Film Awards winners (people)]]
 [[Category:British film production company founders]]
 [[Category:Film directors from London]]
-[[Category:English film directors]]
 [[Category:English television directors]]
 [[Category:English theatre directors]]
@@ Line 124: / Line 126: @@
 [[Category:English male stage actors]]
 [[Category:English male Shakespearean actors]]
-[[Category:English video game designers]]
-[[Category:English comics writers]]
-[[Category:Sony Pictures Animation people]]

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