Bill Nighy (Living, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and Jojo Rabbit’s Roman Griffin Davis will star in road movie 500 Miles from director Morgan Matthews (X+Y, Williams), which Beta Cinema will start selling at the Berlin Film Festival’s European Film Market.
The Origin Pictures, Port Pictures and Minnow Films project is described as “a thrilling road movie full of heart, wit and wonder.”
“The story follows a broken family forced to come together when 16-year-old Finn (Davis) and his livewire younger brother Charlie run away from trouble at home in England to reach their estranged grandfather (Nighy) on Ireland’s stunning and wild West coast,” according to a plot description.
Matthews is set to direct from a script by Malcolm Campbell (What Richard Did, Herself, Ackley Bridge), based on the novel Charlie and Me by Mark Lowery.
Former head of BBC Film David Thompson (Billy Elliot, Notes on a Scandal, Woman in Gold, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom) is producing with Alex Gordon and Keren Misgav Ristvedt for Origin Pictures (Hope Gap, Sense of an Ending, A Brilliant Young Mind), Martina Niland (Once, Sing Street) from Dublin-based Port Pictures, and Minnow. The project is being prepped to shoot in Kerry, Ireland, later in 2024. Louise Kiely (Banshees of Inisherin, Normal People, The Green Knight) functions as casting director.
“The script takes us on an emotional, often hilariously funny, yet deeply moving journey through some of the most beautiful parts of the U.K. and Ireland,” said Tassilo Hallbauer, head of sales and acquisitions at Beta Cinema. “In Jojo Rabbit, Roman Griffin Davis demonstrated his brilliant talent for portraying deep character roles with a unique sense of humor. With Bill Nighy’s involvement, following his pivotal, Oscar-nominated performance in Living, Origin Pictures are assembling a dream cast; 500 Miles offers top-tier escapism and will resonate with international audiences of all ages.”
Added Thompson: “We are delighted to be launching this wonderful project with such a brilliant cast and director. 500 Miles is both hilarious and heart-wrenching and ultimately rather life-affirming. It has such an original take on the world and will be a truly unforgettable film.”
Kimberley French/Twentieth Century Fox
Roman Griffin Davis and Taika Waititi in JoJo Rabbit.
