STUDIOCANAL / Working Title Films Team Up Again For Stephen Frears’ UNTITLED CYCLING PROJECT

STUDIOCANAL and Working Title Films have announced the start of principal photography on October 18th for the untitled CYCLING PROJECT, reuniting Academy Award nominated director Stephen Frears (PHILOMENA, THE QUEEN) and Working Title Films.

The cast is led by Ben Foster (KILL YOUR DARLINGS, AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS) as Lance Armstrong, and Chris O’Dowd (BRIDESMAIDS) as journalist David Walsh, with Guillaume Canet (TELL NO ONE) and Jesse Plemons (TV’s BREAKING BAD) in key supporting roles.

The film charts the thrilling rise of pro-cyclist Lance Armstrong through the 90s and early 2000s, battling cancer, as he and his fellow American teammates dominate and change the quintessentially European sport of cycling. Winning the Tour de France an unprecedented seven times, Lance retires as one of the great sporting heroes of our time, and worth millions of dollars.

David Walsh. THE ARMSTRONG LIE. Photo by Maryse Alberti, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

David Walsh, sports writer, is at first charmed by Lance’s charisma and talent. Seven Tours later, and ostracised by the cycling community for speaking out, he believes the world is being sold a lie. A lone voice, it is several years before Lance is exposed.

Coming out in theaters in November is THE ARMSTRONG LIE, a documentary chronicling sports legend Lance Armstrong’s improbable rise and ultimate fall from grace. From Academy Award winning filmmaker, Alex Gibney, this film was originally supposed to chronicle a comeback and instead emerged as a riveting insider’s view, chronicling the collapse of one of the greatest legends of our time.

Lance Armstrong. THE ARMSTRONG LIE. Photo by Maryse Alberti, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

The film is written by John Hodge (TRANCE), based on the book Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong by Sunday Times journalist and Chief Sports Writer, David Walsh. It is produced by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner for Working Title, Tracey Seaward (PHILOMENA), for whom this is her sixth collaboration with Frears, and Kate Solomon (UNITED 93, GREEN ZONE). Working Title’s Liza Chasin and Amelia Granger will executive produce.

The film marks Stephen Frears and Working Title’s fifth feature film collaboration. Bevan and Frears first worked together on MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE, the Academy Award nominated film that launched both their film careers in 1985 and followed this up with SAMMY AND ROSIE GET LAID in 1987. Bevan and Fellner produced Frears’ HI LO COUNTRY in 1998 and most recently HIGH FIDELITY in 2000.

The film will shoot on location in France and the UK. The creative team includes Production Designer Alan Macdonald, Director of Photography Danny Cohen, Costume Designer Jane Petrie and Editor Valario Bonelli.

This marks the fourth partnership of STUDIOCANAL and Working Title Films after TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, I GIVE IT A YEAR and THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY, the latter now in post production.

STUDIOCANAL will fully finance, distribute in its territories, and handle international sales which will start in AFM.