Hanson when the latter worked for Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television. Euston did not make the film, but Hanson bought the rights from Euston for his own company Calendar Films. Although Hanson designed the film for the cinema and all contracts were negotiated under a film, not a TV agreement, the production was eventually financed by Black Lion, a subsidiary of Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment for transmission via Grade's ATV on the ITV network. The film was commissioned by Charles Denton, at the time both programme controller of ATV and managing director of Black Lion. After Grade saw the finished film, he allegedly objected to what he saw as the glorification of the IRA. The film was scheduled to be televised with heavy cuts on 24 March 1981. Because of the planned cuts, in late 1980, Hanson attempted to buy the film back from ITC to prevent ITV screening the film. The cuts, he said, would be "execrable" and added up to "about 75 minutes of film that was literal nonsense". Before the planned ITV transmission the rights to the film were bought from ITC by George Harrison's company, Handmade Films, for around £200,000 less than the production costs. It gave the film a cinema release. Casting The role of Harold Shand was written specifically with Bob Hoskins in mind. In 1981, it was reported that Hoskins was suing both Black Lion and Calendar Films to prevent their planned release of a US TV version in which Hoskins' voice would be dubbed by English Midlands actor David Daker. Ultimately, Hoskins' voice was not dubbed. The Long Good Friday was the film debut of Pierce Brosnan, then 25. It was also the final role of George Coulouris, Filming locations St Katharine Docks Civic Centre, Dagenham Isle of Dogs Heathrow Airport Paddington tube station Savoy Hotel St George in the East Ladywell Leisure Centre, Lewisham St Patrick's Catholic Church, Wapping Wandsworth Town Hall, Wandsworth Reception On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 97% based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 8.10/10. The website's critical consensus reads "Bob Hoskins commands a deviously sinister performance in The Long Good Friday -- a gangster flick with ferocious intelligence, tight plotting and razor-edged thrills." Awards and nominations The Long Good Friday was voted at number 21 in the British Film Institute's list of the "BFI Top 100 British films"