Gnomeo and Juliet screenwriter's fairytale ending

Newport-born writer John Smith tells the story of how it took eleven years to bring his script for the animated blockbuster Gnomeo and Juliet to the big screen.

The suburban twist on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet features the voices of stars including James McEvoy, Emily Blunt, Sir Michael Caine and Ozzy Osbourne.

Smith told Jamie Owen and Lisa Rogers of BBC Radio Wales that he and his writing partner Rob Sprackling came up with the idea in 1999.

But they were turned down by a Hollywood agent who said Americans wouldn't know what a garden gnome was.

They reworked the script and sold it to Sir Elton John's Rocket Pictures.

Disney took up the option and produced the film which is winning rave reviews.