SALY BALKS, APAR WALKS IN TALKS FOR NEW 'SORELLI' PICTURE

Apar Films has walked out of talks to make a new "Henry Sorelli" film with Alan Saly, saying that the star was asking for too much to return to the screen. Mr. Saly, who shot to superstardom as superspy Henry Sorelli in six films made between 1971-73, has made no secret of his distaste for the Sorelli pictures and Apar Films in general, saying at one point that he "wished the films would go away."

Mr. Saly reportedly wanted $10 million just to talk about returning to the role, and a guarantee that if he made the movie, tentatively titled Flowers Are for Funerals and scheduled to begin shooting in April, the studio would only allow it to be seen by five people. "The demands were too great," said director Christian Doherty, a long-time friend of the former actor who recently returned to filmmaking with a series of comedies including the hit, Hugh & I. "I pleaded with him to just do a cameo, for old times' sake, but he refused."

Mr. Saly was apparently miffed that the old Sorelli movies – as well as other films he made for Apar, including The Sandman and Visual Horror – were sold to YouTube without his permission or any compensation. He is also reportedly angry about the unauthorized use of his likeness in Mr. Doherty's recent remake of the 1972 film The Place, called House of Horror.

"Why do they even want me to appear?" he said with some bitterness. "They took old footage of my head, cut it up, and inserted me in the movie. I think it's the cheapest kind of exploitation. Why don't they do that with the Henry movie? They probably will."

Tom Soter, producer of the new Sorelli picture, said that he regretted Mr. Saly's decision but added that Apar was going ahead with the movie, and that Chris Griggs, the star of Hugh & I and A Girl Like You, has agreed to step in as the new Henry Sorelli. Mr. Soter noted that former Apar stars Tom Sinclair, Evan Jones, and Mr. Soter himself, would all appear in the movie, possibly co-starring with new Apar stars Laurel Sturrock and Krissy Garber.

March 8, 2011