So that's where it began, and then of course for a little while, I flickered between the two. It was made with actually Richard Chamberlain and a lot of other very snotty– I mean, very important in English actors. Not the last one not the Leonardo DiCaprio. And that was a show called 'The Man in the Iron Mask'. Somebody bought it and released it as a movie. The mid-1970s was when I moved into movies, and the first show that I made, in fact, started life as a big sort of two hour TV dramatic special but they liked it and released it as a movie. Newell, you've worked on a lot of television shows and some made-for-TV films I'm wondering if you can talk a little bit about your path from working on TV to working on film. Mike Newell, thanks so much for speaking with us today on the /Filmcast. You can read the interview below, and/or listen to the audio via the /Filmcast. Our discussion spanned topics far and wide we discussed the early days of Mike's career, why he enjoyed working in film over TV, the tax benefits of working with George Lucas, the 'English-ness' he tried to bring to the Harry Potter series, how he chooses his diverse projects, and why he cast Jake Gyllenhaal in The Prince of Persia.

Newell for a lengthy conversation/interview. I had the opportunity recently to chat with Mr. In the past, videogame adaptations have had a pretty spotty record in terms of quality, but I'm holding out hope that Sands of Time will be one of the best videogame-to-film adaptations we've seen yet. In a couple of months, Newell will tackle another big-budget adaptation, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Yet despite (or perhaps because of) his eclectic choices, Newell has been able to craft films that always seem able to bring out a certain sense of authenticity in their characters and in the relationships between them. It's difficult for me to imagine that the same man who made Donnie Brasco also made Four Weddings and a Funeral, and also made Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. When I look at director Mike Newell's filmography, I'm impressed by its breadth, depth, and quality.

Cast of prince of persia