From the BBC:
“Captain Sir Tom Moore story
to be made into movie”
UK companies Fred Films and
Powder Keg Pictures have bought the rights to the feature about the former
British Army captain. Capt Sir Tom rose to prominence during lockdown when he
raised £39m for the National Health Service by walking laps of his garden. He
achieved the feat as he approached his 100th birthday, and has since been
labelled a "national treasure". The as-yet-untitled film will focus
on the veteran's relationship with his younger family, who he moved in with
following the death of his wife, Pamela. The couple were married for 40 years. The
picture will also draw on his military career and show how the horrors of war
shaped his life and inspired him to keep walking, despite having endured a long
battle with skin cancer and a broken hip.
Which actor might play him? When asked who might play him in the
movie, Capt Sir Tom joked: "I don't know of any 100-year-old actors."
And he has a good point, nor do we. But he did name two other knights of
the realm, aged 87 and 82 respectively, who could give it a good go. "I'm
sure Michael Caine or Anthony Hopkins could do a wonderful job if they were
prepared to age up!" suggested Capt Sir Tom. Anyone who has seen
Martin Scorsese's The Irishman will know that the age-up/down technology is
available (at a price).
What have the producers made
before? The film will be made by James Spring, Nick Moorcroft and Meg
Leonard - the producers of Fisherman's Friends, and Finding Your Feet. Both
were successful films about older people (although admittedly not
100-year-olds), which perhaps explains why the same team are keen to tell Capt
Sir Tom's story. Fisherman's Friends centred around a group of Cornish
fishermen from Port Isaac, who were signed by Universal Records and achieved a
top 10 hit with their debut album of traditional sea shanties. Finding
Your Feet was about a woman (played by Imelda Staunton) who, after discovering
that her husband was having an affair with her best friend, rediscovers her
joie de vivre in London.
What do the producers say
about Sir Tom? Writer-producers Moorcroft and Leonard said in a joint
statement: "This is a story about the power of the human spirit and
Captain Sir Tom personifies that. "We are honoured to be telling
this unique and inspiring story and are excited about audiences getting to know
the man behind the headlines." "We received so many offers but
what it boiled down to was trust," Capt Sir Tom's daughter, Hannah
Ingram-Moore added. "The family are big fans of the films James,
Meg and Nick have written and produced and we hope that our story connects with
audiences in the same way their previous films have done." The
team, whose upcoming film, Blithe Spirit - starring Dan Stevens, Leslie Mann,
Isla Fisher and Judi Dench - will be released in December, are looking to shoot
the Sir Tom project in 2021.
Who is Captain Sir Tom Moore? After
breaking two Guinness World Records (and capturing the hearts of the nation)
with his fundraising garden laps in April, the army veteran quickly achieved a
number one single with his rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone, alongside
Michael Ball. "My grandchildren can't believe I'm a chart-topper,"
he said at the time. He was then knighted by the Queen in a private
ceremony at Windsor Castle in July. Capt Sir Tom, originally from
Keighley, West Yorkshire, said it was "an absolutely outstanding
day". Since then, he has enjoyed a big media presence, releasing an
autobiography, entitled Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day, and also appearing on
Piers Morgan's Life Stories. Explaining his positive outlook to the TV
host, he said: "I've always considered, if things were very hard, don't
worry, you'll get through them." "Don't give in, just keep on
going and things will certainly get better," he added. "That's
the way to look at it."
^ This is so cool. I really hope
it is made and that Captain Tom will be able to see it. ^
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