Bill Nighy, Noah Jupe, George MacKay, Matt Smith To Star In '& Sons'

L-R: Bill Nighy, Noah Jupe, George MacKay and Matt Smith Getty Images

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominee Bill Nighy (Living), Indie Spirit nominee Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place I & II), BAFTA nominee George MacKay (1917) and BAFTA nominee Matt Smith (The Crown) are set to star in acclaimed Argentinian filmmaker Pablo Trapero’s (El Clan) English-language movie debut & Sons, which is being scripted by Oscar winner Sarah Polley (Women Talking).

Bankside Films is launching world sales on the buzzy project at this week’s Cannes market. Bankside, UTA Independent Film Group and CAA Media Finance are co-repping North American rights.

Pic is based on the novel of the same name by David Gilbert. The official synopsis reads:

“Andrew is a novelist best known to the world as A.N. Dyer. He wrote his first book when he was 27 and it became an instant classic, selling 45M copies and creating a cult around its elusive author. Andrew wakes up one morning convinced that he is about to die. He knows that with his time on Earth dwindling he needs to set right the major relationships of his life and so he summons his sons to be with him.

“It’s been almost 20 years since an ‘incident’ tore apart the Dyer home. An incident that has a name – Andy. Andy’s the reason his world-famous father, Andrew, no longer speaks to his adult age sons, Richard and Jamie, nor to his ex-wife, Isabel. However when his sons arrive, laden with their own problems, Andrew does not seek their forgiveness, as they expected, instead he tells them something so wild it couldn’t possibly be true. Or could it?”

Pic will be produced by Phin Glynn, Axel Kuschevatzky and Cindy Teperman of Infinity Hill. These are the companies behind Oscar nominee Argentina 1985, the BBC TV series Staged and the international Emmy winner La Caída (Dive). Trapero will also produce through his own company Matanza Cine.

Stephen Kelliher and Sophie Green of Bankside Films, Kasia Neiman, Bahman Naraghi and Paul Telegdy will serve as executive producers. Casting has been handled by Nina Gold.

Argentinian filmmaker Pablo Trapero’s 2015 film El Clan set the record for the largest opening weekend box-office of all time in his home country of Argentina and went on to win the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival. His first feature, Mundo Grúa won the Critics Prize at the 1999 Venice International Film Festival. He is a regular at major festivals including Cannes, Toronto and Venice. More recently he has directed high profile series for Amazon and Apple+.

The filmmaker said: “What appealed to me most was the universality of a “normal” family dynamic as the core of the storytelling. Our most intimate relationships are usually our most complicated. & Sons tells the story of a collection of people who are all flawed and trying to find peace with one another, although struggling to do so. The unexpected surreal twist makes things beautifully more complicated. The sensational cast, that i am thrilled to be working with, is a dream come true. They are the perfect ensemble to tackle and elevate these characters in the most powerful way, honouring the equally potent writing from Sarah.”

Stephen Kelliher of Bankside Films added: “We are thrilled to be working with Pablo and his sensational cast on this brilliantly original story, which will delight and surprise audiences in equal measure.”

Axel Kuschevatzky commented: “It is a pleasure for us to bring to the big screen the wonderful, smart and dazzling national bestseller by David Gilbert, masterfully adapted by Sarah Polley for director Pablo Trapero. As strong believers in international talent, we are proud of supporting latino filmmakers with such a unique vision as Pablo has”.