Judi Dench, Dan Stevens, Isla Fisher to star in UK comedy ‘Blithe Spirit’ for Protagonist (exclusive)
Judi Dench, Dan Stevens and Isla Fisher will lead the cast of Edward Hall’s Blithe Spirit, based on Noel Coward’s 1941 play.
London-based Protagonist Pictures is handling worldwide rights on the project and has inked a series of early pre-sales on the title including Australia and New Zealand (Transmission), Spain (A Contracorriente Films), Airlines (Echo Lake Distribution), South Africa (Empire Entertainment), Middle East (Front Row), and Greece (Tanweer).
The feature will be a re-imagining of Coward’s comedy stage play, in which a best-selling crime novelist suffering from writer’s block struggles to finish his first screenplay. His quest for inspiration leads him to invite an eccentric mystic to his home to perform a séance. He gets more than he bargained when they inadvertently summon the spirit of his first wife.
The project will start shooting on June 17 in and around London. Producers are Fisherman’s Friends trio James Spring, Meg Leonard, and Nick Moorcroft, alongside Hilary Bevan Jones, Peter Snell and Tuni Pinnolis. The project is a Fred Films and Powder Keg Pictures production in association with British Lion Films.
Producers Leonard and Moorcroft also wrote the screenplay with Piers Ashworth. Alongside Spring, the trio are also working on a feature film about Jamaican-born musician and chef Levi Roots, announced earlier this week.
Director Hall’s credits include period series Downton Abbey, which Screen Star of Tomorrow 2006 Stevens starred in, and 2012 TV movie Restless.
Coward’s Blithe Spirit was previously adapted for the screen by David Lean in 1945.
Month: May 2019
Cannes: Matt Walsh, Isla Fisher to Star in ‘Unplugging’
Cannes: Matt Walsh, Isla Fisher to Star in ‘Unplugging’
Matt Walsh and Isla Fisher will star in “Unplugging,” a comedy about a couple who try to recapture their romance by taking a vacation in a rural town. They hope that unplugging from social media and electronics will force them to reconnect with each other and will save their marriage.
“Unplugging” marks the directorial debut of Debra Neil-Fisher, the editor of “Ted” and “The Hangover.” Walsh, best known for playing the hapless press secretary on “Veep,” penned the script with Brad Morris (“Cougar Town”). Both men will produce alongside Deborah Liebling (“Plus One”), Stephanie Laing (“Veep”) and Kevin Matusow and Carissa Buffel for The Traveling Picture Show Company. Radiant Films International will handle foreign sales and introduce to buyers at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The Gersh Agency and UTA Independent will co-represent domestic sales.
“My favorite films are relatable character comedies and travel adventure,” said Neil-Fisher. “When I was sent this script, I thought, I’ve finally found a cinematic story that is both. I am beyond thrilled to work with amazing comedians like Matt and Isla who can help me create hilarious timeless characters that everyone can relate to.”
Walsh most recently appeared in “Widows” and in the upcoming TV movie “Happy Accident.” Fisher’s film credits include “Wedding Crashers,” “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” and “Now You See Me.” She will be seen in the upcoming films “Greed” and “The Starling” opposite Keanu Reeves.
Walsh and Fisher are both represented by United Talent Agency (UTA). Neil-Fisher by Kaplan / Perrone Entertainment and The Gersh Agency. Morris by ICM Partners and Artists First.
(Variety)