Cate Blanchett And Mia Wasikowska Confirmed For John Crowley’s CAROL

Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen at Number 9 Films are delighted to confirm that Cate Blanchett and Mia Wasikowska will star in the new adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel CAROL (aka ‘The Price of Salt’).

Directed by BAFTA winning John Crowley (Intermission, ‘Boy A’), the acclaimed Phyllis Nagy (Mrs Harris) has written the adaptation based on renowned suspense author Patricia Highsmith’s novella (‘Strangers on a Train’, ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’). The film will be produced by Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley from Number 9 Films, and co-developed and co-financed by Film4. Filming starts February 2013 in London and New York.

CAROL is a love story about pursuit, betrayal and passion that follows the burgeoning relationship between two very different women in 1950s New York. One, a girl in her twenties working in a department store who dreams of a more fulfilling life, and the other, a wife trapped in a loveless, moneyed marriage desperate to break free but fearful of losing her daughter in the process.

HanWay will be handling international sales on the film at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley at Number 9 Films commented: “We are thrilled to be working with Cate Blanchett and Mia Wasikowska, two of the most talented actors working today, in this striking adaptation of one of the twentieth century’s most iconic writers, Patricia Highsmith. To be re-united with highly talented individuals, director John Crowley and writer Phylis Nagy is a testament to the quality of the project. We are delighted to have such a gifted team on board.”

Tessa Ross at Film4 commented: “Carol is a beautiful and heart-breaking story and it’s a testament to the talents of Phyllis and John that we’ve attracted actresses of Cate and Mia’s calibre to star at the heart of it. We are delighted to be working with Liz and Stephen at Number 9 to help put together what promises to be a truly wonderful film.”

Award-winning producing partners Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen established Number 9 Films after a long collaboration at both Palace and Scala Productions. In 2005 the company was awarded one of the much sought after Slate Development Funding schemes by the UK Film Council. The company quickly went on to establish itself as one of the UK’s leading independent production companies forging relationships with a wide range of talent in the UK, across Europe and in the States. The company aims to produce between 2 and 3 films a year with a young and vibrant production and development team, headed by Kate Lawrence, who has been with the company for over 8 years.

2010 saw the release of the UK number 1 hit Made in Dagenham, a social comedy set during the 1968 Ford machinists strike, written by Billy Ivory (‘Women in Love’), directed by Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls) and starring Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Rosamund Pike and Miranda Richardson. The film was nominated for four BAFTA awards. It was released in the States by Sony Picture Classics. Also released last year was Mark O’Rowe’s (‘Boy A’, Intermission) Perrier’s Bounty directed by Ian Fitzgibbon and starring Cillian Murphy and Jim Broadbent.

Number 9 Films is currently in post-production on two films. Firstly an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectationsscripted by David Nicholls (One Day), to be directed by Mike Newell, starring Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Robbie Coltrane and Jeremy Irvine (Spielberg’s War Horse). It will be lit by Oscar-nominated cinematographer John Mathieson, with production design by BAFTA-winning Jim Clay, hair and makeup by Oscar-winning Jenny Shircore and costume by Beatrix Aruna Pasztor. It will be released by Lionsgate UK.

Secondly, Byzantium, a vampire story written by Moira Buffini (Jane Eyre, Tamara Drewe) is directed by Neil Jordan and stars Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton.

Hyena, a low budget second feature by writer-director Gerard Johnson about a corrupt policeman working in London’s Albanian and Turkish communities, will go into production in mid 2012.

Future Number 9 projects include Strangers, a chilling ghost story adapted from a Japanese novella, The Limehouse Golem adapted from Peter Ackroyd’s novel by screenwriter Jane Goldman (X:Men, Kick Ass), and Their Finest Hour and a Half by Gaby Chiappe (‘Lark Rise to Candleford’).

Film4, headed by Tessa Ross, is Channel 4 Television’s feature film division. Film4 develops and co-finances films and is known for working with the most innovative talent in the UK, whether new or established. Film4 has developed and co-financed many of the most successful UK films of recent years, films like Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours, Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges, Steve McQueen’s Hunger and Shame, Mike Leigh’s Another Year, Chris Morris’Four Lions , Richard Ayoade’s Submarine, Joe Cornish’s directorial debut Attack The Block , Lone Scherfig’s One Day, Ben Wheatley’s Kill List, and Paddy Considine’s debut feature Tyrannosaur.

Recent releases include, Ben Palmer’s The Inbetweeners Movie, Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights, Terence Davies’The Deep Blue Sea, Carol Morley’s Dreams of a Life, Phyllida Lloyd’s The Iron Lady, Steve McQueen’s Shame and Pawel Pawlikowski’s The Woman In The Fifth.

Forthcoming releases include Bart Layton’s The Imposter, Sophie Fiennes’ The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology, Walter Salles’ On The Road, Peter Strickland’s Berberian Sound Studio, Roger Michell’s Hyde Park on Hudson, Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin, Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths, Danny Boyle’s Trance and Michael Winterbottom’s King of Soho.