CABBIE THE MOVIE: Black cab culture looks to head to the big screen in action comedy heist
- Perry Richardson
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
London’s black cab trade is set to feature at the centre of a new British action heist comedy film titled Cabbie, with producers preparing to begin filming a short pilot this spring ahead of a full feature production.
The independent project, led by producer Mark Foligno and filmmaker Kat Magrowitz, aims to combine elements of classic British caper films with the culture and heritage of London’s taxi drivers. The story is set within the capital’s cab community and draws inspiration from the training process known as The Knowledge, which taxi drivers must complete to become licensed.
Filming for an eight-minute “sizzler” short is scheduled to take place this April. The production team intends to use the pilot to promote the planned feature film to potential distributors and investors at the Cannes Film Festival later this year.
Foligno, a veteran producer with more than 70 film and television credits, said the script immediately appealed because of its focus on London and its taxi heritage. He said: “When Kat brought the Cabbie script to me I was immediately hooked, an action heist comedy set among London’s cab community – commercial and fun and supporting a good cause, what’s not to love? I’m a Londoner – black cabs are part of the fabric. Plus, the current world we live in, we need comedy. Lots of it.”
Independent filmmakers launch £25,000 crowdfunding drive to produce a short pilot ahead of a planned feature film centred on London’s taxi community.
Magrowitz said the idea for the film emerged after she discovered the classic taxi-focused drama The Knowledge by writer Jack Rosenthal. She described being struck by the scale of the training required for drivers. “I first came across Jack Rosenthal’s film ‘The Knowledge’ channel hopping one rainy Sunday afternoon and was immediately hooked,” she said. “What an amazing test study… like uni for three and a half years, learn 320 runs and 25,000 points of interest all by heart. And it comes with a history of 400 years. And now it’s all under threat in the digital age. I thought there’s a movie right there.”
The story centres on a working-class London character named Ed, whose father’s garage collapsed after ride-hailing services entered the market. Unable to secure finance to revive the business, the character resorts to unconventional methods to try to reclaim what his family lost.
Producers say London cab drivers have been involved in shaping elements of the script, particularly the portrayal of Knowledge students known within the trade as “Knowledge boys and girls”. The production team hopes the film will celebrate the heritage and culture surrounding the taxi profession while delivering a commercial comedy caper.
To fund the pilot production, the filmmakers have launched a crowdfunding campaign aiming to raise £25,000 in 25 days. According to Foligno, the funds will be used to cover cast and crew costs, camera equipment, editing, sound mixing and colour correction to produce a high-quality short film for international promotion.
The team has also indicated that supporters will be offered incentives ranging from merchandise to opportunities to appear as extras during filming. While the producers say it is too early to judge the project’s wider impact, they hope the film could boost interest in London’s iconic black cabs in the same way classic British films have previously elevated well known vehicles.
