published on in blog

CANNES: Helena Bonham Carter, Charles Dance Starring in World War I Drama

Helena Bonham Carter will star in World War I drama “The Guns of August,” portraying her real-life step-great grandmother Margot Asquith.

“The Guns of August,” based on the Barbara W. Tuchman book, traces the misunderstandings, missed opportunities and aristocratic follies of the summer of 1914, which led to the outbreak of the First World War.

Charles Dance (“Game of Thrones”) will star as British Prime Minister Henry Herbert Asquith and Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones,” “Terminator: Genesis”) will play Violet Asquith.  “Downfall” director Oliver Hirschbiegel is attached to direct from a script by  writer-producer Frank Doelger, joint managing director of Rainmark Films.

Doelger’s producer credits include “Game of Thrones,” “Rome” and “John Adams.”  Production will begin on “The Guns of August” in early 2015.

Arclight Films has signed a deal to represent sales on “Guns of August” and on Rainmark’s comedy drama “Woolly Faces” from writer-director Pearse Elliott. Both are being presented to buyers for the first time in Cannes.

Popular on Variety

“Woolly Faces” is the second feature for Elliott following 2005’s “The Mighty Celt,” starring Gillian Anderson and Robert Carlyle. It is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story set in West Belfast in 1981 with a mother struggling to keep three unruly teenagers on the straight and narrow while her feckless husband serves time for stealing a milk van.

Paula Malcomson, Ciaran Hinds and Michelle Fairley are attached to star with production set to start later this year. The project has been developed with the support of Northern Ireland Screen and the Irish Film Board.

The U.K.’s Feature Film Company will co-finance both films with principals Mick Southworth and Martin McCabe attached as executive producers alongside Rainmark.

Read More About:

Jump to Comments

More from Variety

Most Popular

Must Read

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXKAjp%2BgpaVfo7K4v46cmKemlah6qbHLnqWaZZKku6mtzGaamqqkmr9ur8eaqaWdo2KxorrCnmSsrJGnv6q6xmagp2WnpL%2BtsIywmKtlmWKxs63MmmRqamBmfnmBmHJpaA%3D%3D