21/05/2012 - Chaumeil, Heyman, Fiennes projects upcoming

BBC Films has announced a raft of new films with several prominent filmmakers. The company will work with Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey of Wildgaze on two projects. Colm Toibin’s best-selling novel Brooklyn will star Rooney Mara and has been adapted by Oscar nominated Nick Hornby. Hornby’s novel A Long Way Down has been adapted by Jack Thorne and will be directed by Pascal Chaumeil. It will star Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Imogen Poots, and Emile Hirsch.

BBC Films will also collaborate with producer Jeremy Thomas on Dom Hemingway, a London-set black comedy starring Jude Law and Richard E. Grant to be directed by Richard Sheppard (Matador). Ruby Films is co-producer on Saving Mr Banks starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson and is about the feud between Walt Disney and novelist P.L. Travers to obtain the rights to Mary Poppins.

BBC Films is partnering with Steve Coogan and Armando Iannucci for The Alan Partridge Movie (working title) that begins shooting in the autumn. Produced by Baby Cow, Kevin Loader, Henry Normal and Armando Iannucci, the film is directed by Declan Lowney. In addition, BBC is working with Simon Curtis on the art world set drama The Golden Lady, written by playwright Alexi Kaye Campbell, and produced by David Thompson.

Testament of Youth is BBC Films’ production with David Heyman’s Heyday Films, Juliette Towhidi’s adaptation of Vera Brittain’s First World War memoir, with Saoirse Ronan is now attached to star. BBC is also on board Ralph Fiennes’ Charles Dickens romance Invisible Woman, currently shooting and adapted by Abi Morgan, and starring Fiennes (photo), Felicity Jones, Kristin Scott Thomas and Tom Hollander.