A man so busy he can surely never find the time for a cup of tea, Andy Serkis is set to bring his directorial debut, Breathe, to this year’s London Film Festival as its Opening Night Gala.
Breathe recounts the incredible true-life tale of Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield) and his wife Diana’s (Claire Foy) battle against seemingly impossible odds after Robin’s shock polio diagnosis and subsequent paralysis. As Serkis says, “Breathe is a deeply personal story to all of us at The Imaginarium and to have the European premiere of my directorial debut in London, my hometown, is beyond my wildest dreams”. It is, in fact, producer Jonathan Cavendish’s (Bridget Jones’s Diary) parents on whom the film is based.
Breathe also stars Hugh Bonneville, Tom Hollander, Stephen Mangan and Dame Diana Rigg. Its European premiere will take place at the Odeon Leicester Square on Wednesday 4 October, with Serkis and his leads expected to attend. But you needn’t fret if you can’t make it, as Serkis’ feature-length debut (released by STXinternational in UK cinemas on 27 October) will be beamed simultaneously into screens across the country.
A brand new trailer and poster are available for you to feast on below:
The 61st London Film Festival in partnership with American Express takes place from Wednesday 4 October - Sunday 15 October 2017. The full Festival programme will be announced on Thursday 31 August.