Sky and its partners announce that Golda Rosheuvel (Bridgerton, Dune) and Priya-Rose Brookwell (The Lazarus Project) are set to take up the lead roles of ‘Dinah’ and ‘Charlie’ in Grow, produced by Double Nickel Entertainment (The Burial, Gran Torino) in association with Sky and Orogen Entertainment.
The family feature will star Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, How To Train Your Dragon) as the eco-loving pumpkin pundit ‘Arlo’ and Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso, Downton Abbey) as ‘Mr Gregory’, a pumpkin-obsessed mad scientist. Tim McInnerny (Notting Hill, One Day) and Jane Horrocks (Absolutely Fabulous, Bloods) will appear as ‘Lord & Lady Smythe-Gherkin’, the town’s reigning pumpkin-growers.
Also, with comedian and presenter Alan Carr (Interior Design Masters, Picture Slam & Changing Ends) as ‘the MC’. Award-winning John McPhail (Anna and the Apocalypse) directs.
Supporting cast includes Joe Wilkinson (Afterlife) as the hapless ‘Boris Mudd’; Kathryn Drysdale (Bridgerton) as Charlie’s mum ‘Polly Little’; Fisayo Akinade (Heartstopper) as lab assistant Kevin; and Sharon Rooney (Barbie) as ‘Sharon’, who runs the orphanage.
Grow is the story of Dinah Little, a no nonsense, curmudgeonly farmer with a heart of gold, and Charlie, the unknown and unloved niece Dinah begrudgingly takes in after discovering Charlie in an orphanage.
Dinah's farm is in the self-proclaimed "Pumpkin Capital of the World" where the biggest event of the year is a high-stakes cutthroat giant-pumpkin-growing contest where the entire town gets their pumpkin patches ready to compete for a cash prize and pumpkin glory.
Charlie has a special bond with plants and, combined with her feisty personality and determination, decides to grow a gigantic pumpkin for the competition, to attempt to win the coveted prize. Charlie and other pumpkin growers face sabotage and advance pumpkin technology in the battle of the pumpkin bulge. As she nurtures ‘Peter’, her pumpkin, and sees him grow, so does a bond between Dinah and Charlie.
Principal photography has commenced in Scotland. Grow has brought together producers and executive producers from Canada, US and the UK to bring this family film to life.
Blazing Griffin, Zertex Media, Screen Scotland, Pont Neuf Productions, Foundry, and GFM Film Sales join Sky, Orogen Entertainment and Double Nickel on the production.
John McPhail, Director, said: “Grow is a joyous comedy about growth, nurturing and family. Set in a world of pumpkin obsessed, madcap characters but grounded in real relationships, it’s a film the whole family can enjoy.”
Andrew Orr, Head of Original Film for Sky, adds: “Across the Sky Cinema offering, we strive to deliver best-in-class content, including brilliant family titles from fantastic talent. Grow has a stand-out cast of best of British actors, and it’s shaping up to be an unmissable treat for audiences of all ages. We look forward to introducing families to the world of Dinah and Charlie as they tackle personality clashes and pumpkin rivalry, as an unlikely but ultimately charming duo.”
Adam Richman, Jenette Kahn and Joe Capotorto, Producers for Double Nickel Entertainment, comment: “We are thrilled to be working with our partners at Sky and Orogen on this classic seasonal perennial which audiences will love year in and year out. John McPhail has realised the absolute best and magical version of Grow - a funny, heartwarming, and forward-looking film. Led by the incomparable Golda Rosheuvel and the hilarious Nick Frost and Jeremy Swift, the movie will delight audiences across the globe with its humour, messages of inclusion and sensitivity to nature.”
Produced by Double Nickel Entertainment in association with Sky, Grow was commissioned by Andrew Orr, Head of Original Film, Sky UK. Alongside producers Richman, Kahn and Capotorto for Double Nickel, Naysun Alae-Carew for Blazing Griffin and Wendy Griffin also produce.
Grow is written by Nick Guthe; Christos N. Gage and Ruth Fletcher Gage, and Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler.
Executive Producers are Julia Stuart and Andrew Orr for Sky; Blair Ward, Anders Erden, Lauren Case and Del Mondor for Orogen Entertainment; Phin Glynn for Blazing Griffin, Fred Hedman, Michael Ryan and Amanda Kerridge for GFM Film Sales; Steven Little for Screen Scotland; and Tom Harberd, Phil Burgin and Mick Southworth for Foundry.
Co-Producers are Barry Hutchison and Fiona Hutchison for Zertex Media, and Isabelle Georgeaux for Pont Neuf Productions.
Grow will be released in cinemas globally and on Sky Cinema in the UK and Ireland in 2025.
GFM Film Sales will be launching international sales at the Marché in Cannes 2024.