Eaton and Coogan’s latest partnership

The fify-three year-old attended Foyle prep and is one of the Eatons of Eaton’s Bakery fame.

Since 1994, Mr Eaton has been in fruitful partnership with acclaimed director, Michael Winterbottom.

The pair have worked with Mr Coogan before, notably on ‘24 Hour Party People’ (2002) and ‘A Cock and Bull Story’ (2006), both of which were written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who happens to be penning the Return of Colmcille pageant in Mr Eaton’s home town next month.

‘The Look of Love’ was another collaboration with Mr Coogan, who plays British pornographer, strip club owner and real estate entrepreneur Paul Raymond.

Talking about the film ahead of its release last year, Mr Eaton said: “People seem to really respond to the idea of Coogan playing that character.

“He’s a combination of Larry Flynt and Hugh Hefner, but he’s our own, this English guy. And he only died a couple of years ago, so his legend is sufficiently fresh.

“Soho in that period, the 60s and 70s, must have been an amazing place to be. There’s some great stuff we found,

Raymond occasionally tried to make films, which he was in, they’re so wonderfully tacky, that great sort of 70s Kodak colour, and the acting is terrible, it’s like soft porn. I think it’s something that Steve will do brilliantly.”

Speaking to the Sentinel about his role as a producer during a visit home for the Foyle Film Festival in 2007, he said:

“I suppose in a way you do a bit of everything. But ultimately the buck stops with you,” he said.

“You start off trying to get the money together to get the script done and once you have that you try to find the money to make the film.

“It’s all about trying to keep everyone happy and get all the pieces of the jigsaw working,” explained Mr Eaton.