By Joy Watters, arts reporter

IT WAS perhaps a sign that all was not well when the film Cowboys For Christ, due to start shooting in a fortnight, was retitled May Day.

The film from Robin Hardy, who directed the cult paganism thriller The Wicker Man, has been put on hold due to last-minute financing problems.

Dundee-born actress Lesley Mackie was to play only her second film role in the new film, having made her screen debut in The Wicker Man in 1973.

Only a few weeks ago, she joked with The Courier that her second film would probably be her cinematic swansong. She has her fingers crossed it won’t be the first.

She was due to play Daisy the cook and has just returned from Glasgow where she has been working on songs for the film.

Filming of Cowboys For Christ aka May Day, which follows in the footsteps of The Wicker Man, was due to begin in Dumfries and Galloway on April 21.

A spokeswoman for the local council said production company CFC Film Ltd have been pulling out of arrangements to carry out location work for the feature film, May Day.

“It is understood that last- minute financing problems have hit the production and the company is now trying to put together alternative funding packages.’’

Around 90 cast and crew had been booked into local accommodation for four weeks and the company was about to start casting extras, when the news broke.

Christopher Lee was to reprise his role as local lord and Joan Collins had been signed up too.