We’ve known about Richard Curtis’ new comedy, The Boat That Rocked, for a while now, but today was the day that his ship finally welcomed some cast members on board, with a view to setting sail in March.
Rhys Ifans and January Jones – both of whom have history with Curtis (Ifans in Notting Hill, the film that made his name; and the effervescent Jones, who we tipped to be a big star a while back, appeared briefly in Love Actually) – have signed on to appear in the ensemble film, which takes place on a pirate radio ship in the 1970s.
Jones will play an American woman who visits the boat and falls for her boyfriend’s disc jockey mate, played by Ifans.
Rounding out today’s additions is a Curtis newcomer, Mr. Kenneth Branagh, who will play one of Ifans’ fellow DJs. We don’t know if he’s going to be Jones’ boyfriend in the movie, but dammit, we intend to find out.
It’s a good start to the casting of Curtis’ latest, which will apparently be more of a straight comedy than his romantic efforts such as Love Actually, Notting Hill and Four Weddings And A Funeral. However, we’re guessing that the Jones/Ifans storyline alone suggests that there will be some ‘rom’ to go with the ‘com’.
As you might have guessed, it’s a Working Title production, and will be produced by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, along with Curtis and Hilary Bevan-Jones. Shooting begins in London on March 3.