David Seidler to Pen THE LADY WHO WENT TOO FAR
New Period Drama from the Producer of “The Kings Speech”
Toronto – September 11, 2010 – Acclaimed screenwriter David Seidler will pen a new period drama about the life of Lady Hester Stanhope, THE LADY WHO WENT TOO FAR, for Bedlam Productions.
The film will be produced by Gareth Unwin whose THE KING’S SPEECH saw it’s world premiere last night at TIFF 2010 and has already been heavily tipped as a front runner in the Oscar race 2011.. THE LADY WHO WENT TOO FAR is based on the acclaimed biography STAR OF THE MORNING, by journalist and author Kirsten Ellis.
Charting the true, epic and extraordinary story of Lady Hester Stanhope and set during the Napoleonic Wars, THE LADY WHO WENT TOO FAR is the sweeping saga of a complex, beautiful and romantic woman seeking her destiny. Her story is enmeshed in a political thriller layered with intrigue, murder and love, as the fate of Europe, the Middle East, and beyond hangs in the balance.
“She was a female Lawrence of Arabia, a hundred years before Lawrence,” commented screenwriter David Seidler. “She came to exactly the same conclusion that Lawrence did, that we had no place in the Middle East and should keep away politically.”
“Hers is a very powerful story that’s never been told cinematically before,” said biographer Kirsten Ellis. “She’s an undiscovered iconic emblem and the film will lift the lid on what made Hester spend half her life in the Middle East and what she tried to achieve there.”
The film will mark the second collaboration between Seidler and producer Gareth Unwin following THE KING’S SPEECH, which stars Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter and received its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this week.
“I am ecstatic to be working with David again; this is just the type of story that draws out his best work,” said Gareth Unwin. “We had a creatively rewarding time bringing the script for THE KING’S SPEECH through its early stages of development and the opportunity to work so quickly again with a writer of David’s stature is a real treat.”
“I am further buoyed by being able to unite a number of the early investors in THE KING’S SPEECH,” added Unwin. “Richard Price (ex Chair of BAFTA) and Mark Foligno and Steve Milne (MD and CEO of Molinare respectively) have been incredibly supportive of me and my aspirations for this project.”
For further information please contact:
Kate Lee – Freud Communications +447771600070
kate@freud.com
ABOUT BEDLAM PRODUCTIONS
Gareth Unwin’s Bedlam Productions has seen recent critical success with the low budget noir-thriller EXAM. Written and Directed by Stuart Hazeldine, the film was officially selected for the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2009. Most recently, Bedlam has joined forces with producers Iain Canning (HUNGER, CONTROL) and Emile Sherman (CANDY) on THE KING’S SPEECH. Originally optioned by Bedlam, this film was directed by Emmy Award® winner Tom Hooper (JOHN ADAMS, THE DAMNED UNITED), written by David Seidler (TUCKER; THE MAN AND HIS DREAM), and stars Academy Award® nominees Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter, and Academy Award® winner Geoffrey Rush.
He is currently in production on THE FLYING MACHINE, a 3-D live action and stop-motion animation blend starring Heather Graham and international pianist Lang Lang, being made to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth. The film will premier in Bejing, Warsaw and London in February.
ABOUT DAVID SEIDLER, SCREENWRITER
With over 40 years of experience in writing for television and film, David has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the industry. Actors to have appeared in his work range from Elizabeth Taylor and Anthony Quinn to Jeff Bridges and Gary Oldman. In 1988, David co-wrote TUCKER: THE MAN AND HIS DREAM for Francis Ford Coppola, which went on to receive three Academy Award® nominations, and followed that success with two films for Warner Bros. David has consistently demonstrated his skill at adapting true life stories, capturing complex characters and creating entertaining and accessible narratives from dense histories. Most recently he wrote THE KING’S SPEECH, starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter and produced by See Saw Films and Bedlam Productions.
ABOUT KIRSTEN ELLIS, AUTHOR
Kirsten Ellis began her writing career aged just 18, writing for the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, and has since worked as a journalist – for outlets including Vogue and Tatler – and travel writer around the globe, based in India, Cyprus and New York. Her 2005 book on Cuba was short-listed as Travel Book of the Year by The Observer/Travelex Award. The critically acclaimed investigative and novelistic STAR OF THE MORNING, about the life of Lady Hester Stanhope, is Kirsten’s first biography.
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