Matthew Warchus’ PRIDE To Start Production On October 7 – Stars Bill Nighy, Dominic West And Imelda Staunton

Pathé, BBC Films, the BFI and Proud Films announced last week that the Calamity Films production PRIDE will start principal photography on October 7.

Directed by Tony Award winning theatre director Matthew Warchus (Matilda: The Musical, God of Carnage), PRIDE will star Bill Nighy (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake) and include Dominic West (300, The Wire), Paddy Considine (Dead Man’s Shoes) and Joseph Gilgun (This Is England). Newcomers on the movie will be Ben Schnetzer (The Book Thief, Posh) and George MacKay (How I Live Now, Sunshine On Leith).

The screenplay, based on a remarkable true story, has been written by Stephen Beresford, whose debut stage play, The Last of the Haussmans (starring Julie Walters), was a critical and commercial hit at the National Theatre in 2012.

It’s the summer of 1984 – Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is on strike. At the Gay Pride March in London, a group of gay and lesbian activists decides to raise money to support the families of the striking miners. But there is a problem. The Union seems embarrassed to receive their support.

But the activists are not deterred. They decide to ignore the Union and go direct to the miners. They identify a mining village in deepest Wales and set off in a mini bus to make their donation in person. And so begins the extraordinary story of two seemingly alien communities who form a surprising and ultimately triumphant partnership.

Matthew Warchus said: “This was a script I just couldn’t say no to. It made me laugh out loud, it surprised and delighted me at every turn, and it ultimately moved me to tears. It’s a truly affirming and inspiring story, funny, honest and moving, and by the end of it you want to punch the air and cheer!” The film will shoot for 8 weeks in London and in Wales.

The film is produced by David Livingstone for Calamity Films and Executive Produced by Pathé’s Cameron McCracken and BBC Films’ Christine Langan. Natascha Wharton is lead executive for the BFI Film Fund.

The film was developed by Pathé and Calamity Films and is being co-financed by Pathé, Proud Films, BBC Films and the BFI.

Pathé will distribute the film in the UK and France and will handle sales throughout the rest of the world. Their upcoming releases include Stephen Frears’ PHILOMENA (starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan) and Justin Chadwick’s MANDELA (starring Idris Elba and Naomie Harris).