Originally the film version was announced in 1976 just before the novel's 1977 publication (for a 1977 shoot for release in 1978) with a bigger budget and Caine cast in the title role, Oliver cast in the role of the head of British Intelligence, Susan George cast as the daughter and Robert Shaw originally cast to play the role (which was played eventually by Robert Powell) with Mike Hodges directing and was planned but the August 1978 death of Robert Shaw postponed the project and 6 years later in 1982 the project was picked up by Pakistani businessman Mahmud Sipra and Michael Caine, Sir Laurence Olivier, Susan George and Robert Powell were cast in the leads the first 3 were as cast in 1976 but as a result of Robert Shaw's death in 1978 the Robert Shaw role was re-cast and was replaced by another Salford born actor called Robert (this time Robert Powell) and was ultimately made on a low budget with filming being suspended after the money ran out and did not get a cinema release in the UK and suffered the humiliation of being the first Michael Caine film to not get a cinema release in the UK and ended up not being released until 1985 as a direct to video release through Thorn EMI.