Period dramas have served Colin Firth rather well recently, what with an Oscar for The King’s Speech and plenty of festival acclaim for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. He’ll be hoping that trend continues as he’s joined World War II POW pic The Railway Man.
Jonathan Teplitzky is directing the film, which Millions writer Frank Cottrell Bryce and Andy Paterson have adapted from former army officer Eric Lomax’s book about his time spent captured by the Japanese and working on the construction of the “death railway” between Thailand and Burma. But it’s not all focused on his POW experiences – he also set out decades later to track down his tormentors and exact some revenge.
"The Railway Man is an amazing story and to have the chance to make it with Colin Firth as Eric is really the best gift any director could hope for,” Teplitzky said in a statement picked up by The Hollywood Reporter. He made the announcement at the Toronto Film Festival, where he’s premiering his latest film, Burning Man.
Lionsgate is looking to lock down some buyers at the Festival and Lionsgate UK will handle the film over here. Once all the deals are in place, Teplitzky will kick off shooting in February with filming set for the UK, Thailand and Australia.