Pathe presents Mrs Henderson
by Annika Pham
The only truly European film opening today (putting aside the US/French action film The Transporter 2) is Stephen Frears’ perfect vehicle for Dame Judi Dench, Mrs Henderson Presents for which Pathé has put together a mainstream release with 355 prints.
The musical drama based on a true story, tells the story of a lively widow who buys an abandoned Theatre in London and turns it into a famous nude revue which never closes during WWII. Perfectly cast as Mrs Henderson is Judi Dench whose ‘Mrs Brownesque’ performance makes her an ideal Oscar and Bafta candidate. At her side is Bob Hoskins as her irascible manager, 26 year-old singer and pop idol Will Young who makes a convincing screen debut, and UK actress and heartthrob to French audiences since her roles in Cédric Klapisch’s Euro Pudding and Russian Dolls [+see also:
trailer
film profile] Kelly Reilly.
The whole cast challenged the freezing cold in Leicester Square last Wednesday to support the film at its UK premiere.
According to Alistair Nicholson from Pathé Distribution, the core audience for the film is women over 25 who have come out massively to see the US comedy In Her Shoes now in its third week on UK screens. But 11-years old girls also wanting to see singer Will Young on the big screen. An extensive screening programme was put together to spread the word of mouth, and as many as 25,000 people previewed the film thanks to tie-ins with magazines such as the weekly Radio Times or the monthly Heart magazine targeting the younger audience, newspapers such as The Telegraph and Jonathan Ross’s popular BBC radio programme ‘Film 2005’. Other preview screenings invited women Institute members, and a big advertising campaign across all media (TV, radio, press) was also put together to raise the awareness on the film.
Produced by Norma Heyman for NFH Films, with Pathe Pictures and BBC Films, Mrs Henderson Presents is sold internationally by Pathé’s sales arm. Among next territories to open are the US on December 9 through The Weinstein Company and Italy on January 5th (BIM Distribuzione).
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