Barton's 'Malice' leaves Sunderland

Mischa Barton's Malice in Sunderland, a reinvention of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland from director Simon Fellows, has switched locations due to a £250,000 shortfall in funds, reports the BBC.

The film will now shoot in Southend, with producer Albert Martinez-Martin revealing: "There is no problem with Sunderland at all, the reasons being we have been looking at locations which are offering help in terms of funding.

"There is about £250,000 which we have lined up from Screen East in Southend and we are looking at locations there right now."

Producer Martinez-Martin added that the film has changed its name to Malice in Wonderland to appeal to a worldwide audience.

"Everyone in the UK would know Sunderland but outside the UK they wouldn't. I also thought two puns in one title were one too many."

Barton, known for playing Marissa Cooper in The OC, will star as a student who wakes up in a strange city after being hit by a taxi.

Tom Harvey, chief executive of Northern Film and Media, said he was "very sad" that the movie wouldn't film on Wearside.

"We have over £1 million to spend but that goes on local people. In this region talent that lives and works here is more important than production companies coming in," Harvey said.