Richard E. Grant Joins Cast as New Regency, Warp Films and Film4 Adapt Hit West End Musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

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Category: Entertainment News
Published on Saturday, 15 June 2019 08:09
Written by Hildy Johnson

New Regency, Film4 and Warp Films' EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE reunites the original creative team behind the stage production: director Jonathan Butterell, writer Tom MacRae, composer Dan Gillespie Sells and choreographer Kate Prince. Filming will begin June 24.

The film is produced by Mark Herbert and Peter Carlton for Warp Films, and New Regency's Arnon Milchan. Executive producers are Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer for New Regency and Daniel Battsek and Ollie Madden for Film4, who developed the project alongside Warp Films. The film will be released worldwide via 20th Century Fox.

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Inspired by the true story of Jamie Campbell, Everybody's Talking About Jamie follows 16-year-old Jamie New who lives on a council estate in Sheffield. Jamie doesn't quite fit in. Jamie is terrified about the future. Jamie is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.

Recent Academy Award™ nominee Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Logan) plays former drag queen and Jamie's mentor Hugo with BAFTA nominee Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe) as Jamie's teacher Miss Hedge and BAFTA winner Sarah Lancashire (Happy Valley) as his mother Margaret.  Shobna Gulati, from the original stage cast, will reprise her role of Ray.

Inspired by the BBC documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16 (Firecracker Films), the stage production originated at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, before it was picked up by Nimax Theatres and transferred to London's West End, where it continues its highly-successful run. 

In a joint statement, Jonathan Butterell (director) Tom MacRae (writer) and Dan Gillespie Sells (Composer) stated:

"Who would have thought when Jamie Campbell first put on his prom dress, that eight years later we would have brought together the best of British and Irish acting talent to tell his story. As well as launching a brand new star in Max Harwood to play Jamie himself, we're so thrilled to welcome Sarah, Richard and Sharon to the Jamie family. Now the party's really getting started."

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Producer Mark Herbert from Warp Films adds: "Warp Films are absolutely delighted that Richard, Sharon and Sarah are joining the JAMIE family, and we are so excited that after nearly a year of searching we have found our Jamie New - we can't wait to start this journey with Max and to share this film with the world "

"We are incredibly excited to be bringing this poignant story to screen and are fortunate to be working with such an immensely talented group of actors and filmmakers. We know Jamie's story will resonate with audiences on a critical and commercial basis," stated Yariv Milchan, New Regency's Chairman.

"From the moment Warp suggested we see the stage show of Everybody's Talking About Jamie, we were determined to help bring this joyous, life-affirming celebration of Jamie New's remarkable tale to the big screen. This is one of those projects that proves the theory - the more personal the story, the more universally it resonates. And in this case, with singing and dancing to boot!"adds Ollie Madden, Film4's Head of Creative.

After receiving over 3000 applications from the open casting call, newcomer Max Harwood was cast in the title role of Jamie New. Harwood, a 21 year old from Basingstoke is currently studying at Urdang Academy in London. This is his first professional role. Following a year's search for Jamie's classmates via regional casting calls and outreach, 20 young locals from Yorkshire and the surrounding regions were cast.

Director of Photography is Chris Ross (Yesterday), with costumes by Guy Speranza (Stan & Ollie) and hair and make-up by Nadia Stacey (BAFTA winner for The Favourite). Janey Levick (BAFTA nominee for This Is England '90) is Production Designer.

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Warp Films

Established in 2002, Warp Films is one of the most exciting and respected production companies in the UK today. From award-winning feature films Submarine, Four Lions and '71, to multi BAFTA-winning returning TV series This Is England, international drama The Last Panthers and critically-acclaimed Southcliffe; Warp Films are committed to collaborating with and supporting top creative talent in the UK and abroad. Warp's mission is to provide a distinctive window on the world, and tell stories that may be funny or serious, mainstream or controversial, but always with heart.

Recent productions include the award-winning TV series The Virtues, an original from writer-director Shane Meadows and co-writer Jack Thorne for Channel 4; and features Ghost Stories, by writer-directors Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman; and Idris Elba's directorial debut Yardie. Currently in production are Everybody's Talking About Jamie, a feature adaptation of the hit musical in collaboration with Film4 and New Regency; and Little Birds, an erotically-charged melodrama inspired by the short stories of Anaïs Nin for Sky Atlantic.

New Regency

Founded in 1991 by renowned producer Arnon Milchan, New Regency is actively engaged in entertaining the world. The company has produced some of the most successful and critically-acclaimed films of all time with over 140 films and more than 50 television series in the company's vast library, including Academy Award®-winner "The Revenant" (2016) and the back-to-back Academy Award®-winning Best Pictures, "12 Years A Slave" (2014) and "Birdman" (2015).

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The company also backed celebrated filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu's conceptual virtual reality installation "Carne y Arena," and the Broadway musical "Pretty Woman" starring Samantha Barks, adapted from the beloved 1990 romantic comedy film also produced by New Regency. New Regency is dedicated to continuing to foster its unparalleled filmmaker relationships and today boasts partnerships with the most acclaimed and sought-after creative forces in the industry. The company is also celebrating the success of the extremely popular global box office hit, multiple award-winning and Academy Award-winning/nominated, "Bohemian Rhapsody" (the film won for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Achievement in Film Editing, Achievement in Sound Editing and Achievement in Sound Mixing) which to date has grossed over $900 million worldwide.

Film4

Film4 is Channel 4 Television's feature film division. Film4 develops and co-finances films and is known for working with the most distinctive and innovative talent in UK and international filmmaking, both new and established.

Film4 has developed and co-financed many of the most successful UK films of recent years, Academy Award®-winners such as Yorgos Lanthimos's The Favourite, Martin McDonagh's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Lenny Abrahamson's Room, Alex Garland's Ex Machina, Asif Kapadia's box office record breaking documentary Amy, Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave, Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire and Phyllida Lloyd's The Iron Lady, in addition to critically-acclaimed award-winners such as Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here, Pawel Pawlikowski's Cold War, Andrea Arnold's American Honey, Rungano Nyoni's I Am Not a Witch, Chris Morris's Four Lions, Shane Meadows' This is England, Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin and Andrew Haigh's 45 Years.

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Film4's recent releases include Stephen Merchant's Fighting With My Family, Tom Harper's Wild Rose, Sebastián Lelio'sDisobedience, Steve McQueen's Widows, Mike Leigh's Peterloo, Tinge Krishnan's Been So Long, Bart Layton's American Animals, Clio Barnard's Dark River and Michael Pearce's Beast. Forthcoming releases include Chris Morris's The Day Shall Come and Asif Kapadia's Diego Maradona. Films in production include Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho, Euros Lyn's Dream Horse, Florian Zeller's The Father, Armando Iannucci's The Personal History of David Copperfield, Michael Winterbottom's Greed, Sarah Gavron's 'Untitled Girls Film', Nick Rowland's Calm With Horses, Justin Kurzel's True History of the Kelly Gang, Coky Giedroyc's adaptation of Caitlin Moran's How To Build a Girl, Gregor Jordan's Dirt Music, Ben Sharrock's Limbo, Cathy Brady's Wildfire, Rose Glass's Saint Maud and Chasing Chaplin from Peter Middleton and James Spinney. For further information please visitwww.film4productions.com.