BBC Worldwide North America has announced the acquisition of five-time Academy-Award nominated director and writer John Boorman's latest film ‘Queen and Country.’
The film, which is set in the early 1950s, details the bittersweet rites of passage of the earlier film’s protagonist Bill (Callum Turner). Bill, whose character portrays Boorman, is called up for National Service in the British Army. Instead of being shipped off to Korea, Bill lands a desk job as a typing instructor for a military-regulation-fixated Sergeant Major (David Thewlis) who makes life miserable for Bill and his two office mates. Running parallel to this seemingly light service comedy is Bill’s romantic pursuit of an alluring but emotionally troubled Oxford student (Tamsin Egerton) who’s out of his league.
The film also stars Pat Shortt, Sinead Cusack and Brian F. O’Byrne. It is a sequel to Boorman’s 1987 Oscar nominated film ‘Hope and Glory’.
Speaking at IFTA’s private Academy Members' screening of 'Queen and Country' to a packed house at ‘An Evening With John Boorman’ event in September, Boorman, in conversation with MC Tara Brady (Irish Times) said of making the sequel: ‘I never really got around to it, but coming to the end of my career I decided I better do it now or never. ‘Hope and Glory’ was made from the point of view of a child and I tried to see it through a child’s eyes as I remembered it. In this film of course the boy has grown up a little bit so it’s a little more serious’.
‘Queen and Country’ is slated to have its Irish premiere at the Cork Film Festival next week (7th-16th November) and was chosen in the Director’s Forthright Section at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It also screened earlier this month at the Busan International Film Festival in the World Cinema Category.
A long-time resident of Ireland, Boorman’s other screen credits include ‘Point Blank’, ‘Deliverance’, ‘Zardoz’, ‘The General’, ‘Excalibur’, ‘The Tailor of Panama’ and ‘The Tiger’s Tail’.
Soumya Sriraman of BBC Worldwide North America said: ‘This film is an excellent addition to our release slate and solidifies our commitment to bringing some of the best British drama to the big screen.’
No release date has been set.