Armando Iannucci can make just about anything funny and contemporary. From the political turmoil of The Thick Of It and In The Loop, to the back-stabbing and life-or-death in-fighting of Soviet Russia in The Death Of Stalin, the Scottish writer-director is one of the most distinctive voices in British film and TV – and now he’s taking on something entirely different with his Stalin follow-up, putting his own spin on a Charles Dickens classic. The Personal History Of David Copperfield will present a “fresh take” on the 19th Century novel, with a script by Iannucci and his frequent collaborator Simon Blackwell – and the film has been announced to open the BFI London Film Festival 2019.
The film will receive its European Premiere in London on 2 October to kick off the festival – giving a first look at one of the most exciting British films of the year. Iannucci has pulled together a truly incredible cast for this one – Dev Patel takes the lead as the titular Copperfield, surrounded by the likes of Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie, Peter Capaldi, Ben Whishaw, Paul Whitehouse, and Gwendoline Christie. “The Personal History of David Copperfield is a film about compassion, humour, generosity and friendship, and I couldn’t have asked for a more welcoming setting in which to premiere it,” says Iannucci.
The LFF will take place between 2 and 13 October, with more films to be announced in the coming weeks – stay tuned for updates.