Bill (2015 film)

Bill

Promotional poster
Directed by Richard Bracewell
Produced by Charles Steel
Alasdair Flind
Tony Bracewell
Screenplay by Laurence Rickard
Ben Willbond
Story by Laurence Rickard
Ben Willbond
Starring Mathew Baynton
Simon Farnaby
Martha Howe-Douglas
Jim Howick
Laurence Rickard
Ben Willbond
Music by Andrew Hewitt
Cinematography Laurie Rose
Edited by David Freeman
Production
company
BBC Films, Punk Cinema and Cowboy Films
Distributed by Koch Media (UK, Germany & Scandinavia)
Independent (other international sales)
Release dates
  • 21 August 2015
Country United Kingdom
Language English

Bill is an upcoming British family adventure-comedy film from the principal performers behind children's TV series Horrible Histories and Yonderland. Produced by Punk Cinema and Cowboy Films for BBC Films, it is scheduled for UK release on 21st August 2015.[1] The film is a fictional take on the young William Shakespeare's search for fame and fortune, as written by Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond and directed by Richard Bracewell. It will feature the six lead performers playing several different roles each.

Plot

Bill is set during Shakespeare's "lost years"—the crucial period, long a mystery to scholars, covering his rise from obscurity in Stratford-upon-Avon to fame as a playwright in London. According to the official synopsis, the film will tell the "real story" of what happens when "hopeless lute player Bill Shakespeare leaves his family and home to follow his dream. It’s a tale of murderous kings, spies, lost loves, and a plot to blow up Queen Elizabeth I." [2] Writer Rickard further explained that this "very different" version of the future Bard has already tried "everything from contemporary dance to playing lute in a band. He's never found his calling."[3]

Cast

The six members of the starring troupe have been announced as playing 40 total roles, in the manner of the Monty Python films.[2][4] Confirmed named roles[5] are listed below:

It was subsequently confirmed at the 2014 Cannes film festival that Homeland star Damian Lewis would be joining the cast as Sir Richard Hawkins.[6] [7] Other supporting players include:

Production

The starring cast in York Minster. L-R: Laurence Rickard, Simon Farnaby, Mathew Baynton (as "Bill" Shakespeare), Martha Howe-Douglas, Ben Willbond and Jim Howick

BBC Films announced Bill on 13 May 2013, as a co-production with fellow UK production companies Punk Cinema and Cowboy Films. Head of BBC Films Christine Langham said that "we’re thrilled [to be] making the first film starring this team of incredibly talented and popular British comedy writers and performers."[2] In November of the same year ScreenDaily.com reported that the BFI (British Film Institute) Film Fund had invested £1 million in the production, with further undisclosed amounts coming from BBC Films, LipSync and Screen Yorkshire, through its Yorkshire Content Fund.[4]

Principal filming began on 10 February 2014 at locations around Yorkshire, including York Minster, Skipton Castle, Marske-by-the-Sea, Bolton Castle and Selby Abbey. Other filming locations included Stowe School, Caroline Gardens Chapel in Peckham, London, and Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in West Sussex. The closing scenes were filmed at Shakespeare's Globe, a modern recreation of the theatre where many of Shakespeare's plays were first performed.[10][11][12]

Former Horrible Histories co-stars Rickard and Willbond are credited with the Bill screenplay, and are also the top-billed performers along with the four other members of the HH starring cast (Baynton, Howe-Douglas, Farnaby and Howick).[2] Despite this connection, and sharing a similar subject matter, the film has no official affiliation with the earlier TV series. It is the second project (after Yonderland) created by the sextet as a means to continue working together as a troupe after Horrible Histories ceased production in 2012, while maintaining the familiar character-and-costume driven comedy style.[13] Making the move to film was "a bit scary," Willbond said, "but we cooked up a really nice plot."[12] Rickard described the overall tone of the new project as "a hundred different brands of idiocy, really... We staunchly defend the idiocy."[3]

In contrast to the conscientious grounding in accuracy that was the trademark of Horrible Histories, Bill is by design a purely imaginary tale. In the initial press release for the film, the co-writers noted that "We're playing with history, just as Shakespeare did, for the entertainment of the audience."[2] Commenting on the choice of subject, Rickard added that in fact "the joy of the "lost years" is we can tell a fun story without trampling on the facts—it gives us licence to take William Shakespeare on a truly ridiculous caper, yet end with him becoming the man the world knows."[10]

The first full-length trailer for the film was released in December 2014, at which point the film's theatrical release date—originally scheduled for late February 2015—was confirmed to have been pushed out to March 27 of the same year. [14] This was subsequently revised again--with no official explanation--to August 21st.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "UK Film Release Calendar". UK Film Distributor Association. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Stars of BBC’s Horrible Histories to make Shakespeare comedy film". BBC Media Centre. bbc.co.uk. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kirby, Ben (23 April 2014). "Mark William Shakespeare's 450th birthday with this exclusive image from Bill". Empire Online. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Rosser, Michael (18 February 2015). "Koch sets Bill release date". ScreenDaily.com. Screen International. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  5. ↑ de Semlyen, Phil (18 February 2014). "First look at Shakespeare comedy Bill : The horrible history gets a release date too". Empire Online. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  6. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (14 May 2014). "Damian Lewis joins Shakespeare comedy Bill". ScreenDaily.com. Screen International. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Listed in the Internet Movie Database.
  8. ↑ Sharp, Richard (21 February 2014). "Helen McCrory cast in Horrible Histories movie ‘Bill’". THN: Hollywood News. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  9. ↑ Confirmed by the producers on the film's official Twitter account.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Shooting set to commence on Shakespeare comedy 'Bill' in February 2014". Screen Yorkshire website. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  11. ↑ Prior, David (18 February 2014). "Shakespeare comedy Bill begins filming at York Minster". Prolific North. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Jury, Louise (16 May 2014). "Bard film makes all the world a stage for Horrible Histories". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  13. ↑ Seale, Jack (10 November 2013). "Yonderland: We wanted to raid the dressing-up box and speak in silly voices". Radio Times. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  14. ↑ Simon Reynolds (18 December 2014). "First trailer for Horrible Histories cast's Shakespeare comedy Bill". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 December 2014.

External links