Prolific film producer Alan Latham, known for low-budget films featuring stars like Kelsey Grammer and Anna Chancellor, has had 50 of his production companies compulsorily struck off by Companies House, according to data from the film workers' union Bectu. This leaves creditors unable to pursue unpaid fees, as there is no longer a legal entity to claim against.
Strike-offs leave creditors without recourse
A compulsory strike off occurs when Companies House dissolves a company for failing to meet legal obligations, such as filing annual accounts or confirmation statements. Failure to file on time is a criminal offence, and offending companies are frequently removed from the register. Once removed, creditors cannot make claims against the dissolved entity.
Film workers have told the Guardian they are unable to collect debts owed by Latham's former businesses. One crew member on the film City Girls, starring Elizabeth Hurley, said she and other young workers were not fully paid. “We were all young, desperate for work and to prove our worth. We were overly excited – that comes with not understanding – and we were exploited,” she said. “It felt like they were using young whippersnappers as their cashflow, without us consenting or having any way of knowing that this was the MO.”
Unfinished productions and unpaid suppliers
A supplier who worked on another unfinished Latham film, Rufus Kane, said his business was owed thousands of pounds by RK Film Productions. “We got every excuse under the sun [not to be paid],” he said. “It was really bad and we just about managed to keep our heads above water. We had no choice but to write the debt off. Even just talking about it brings up the old scars.”
City Girls Productions and RK Film Productions were struck off in 2024 and 2025 respectively. The Guardian has been told of further Latham productions where workers claim they have not been paid.
Pattern of late filings and dissolutions
Bectu's analysis reveals that 50 companies where Latham was a director have been removed from the register. The businesses were late filing annual accounts or confirmation statements on more than 400 occasions, according to research by Tech City Labs. The frequency of strike-offs raises questions about whether Latham planned for his companies to be dissolved.
Industry sources note that discrete companies, often called special purpose vehicles (SPVs), are routinely formed to manage a single project and typically continue trading for years after a film's release to collect royalties. Latham remains a director of about 50 active companies, according to Companies House data. He is credited as a producer on 81 releases dating back to 1996, with two further films in production, per IMDb.
In November, the Guardian reported on questions over the financing of some of Latham's films, where leaked internal budgets appeared to show significantly lower costs than published figures used to determine tax credit claims. Latham was approached for comment.
