THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN ETA I SECOND HALF OF 2021.
Benedict Cumberbatch’s art attack.
DIRECTOR Will Sharpe STARRING Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough
Imagine Benedict Cumberbatch sporting one of his finest moustaches and surrounded by cats. Lots of cats. No, it’s not your favourite internet meme come to life, it’s a new biopic of eccentric 19th-century artist Louis Wain.
Best known for his psychedelic pictures of anthropomorphised felines, Wain was hugely influential even though he never became a household name. The film depicts the many obstacles he faced, but at its heart it’s a moving love story between the painter and his wife Emily (Claire Foy).
Just don’t expect it to be a conventional period drama. Director Will Sharpe, who won acclaim for his work on Channel 4 comedy Flowers, wanted it to be a celebration of Wain’s life that was as surreal and colourful as the art he created. “It’s a film that tries to capture the look of his pictures through the design, the performances, the dialogue, the music,” he says. “Trying to build what we call Wain’s world!”
Cumberbatch’s SunnyMarch company is co-producing the film, which was shot over nine weeks in and around London. The actor is in his element as Wain, who found solace in his furry muses as things started to fall apart.
“I can’t think of anyone better,” says Sharpe. “He has such a good grasp of these psychological characters who have fast, febrile brains. I always want to embrace the messiness of humans. I really felt that Benedict was game.”
Wain’s life was sadly marred by tragedy, but Sharpe hopes that the film will be a touching reminder of what an inspirational man he was. “I had a lot of admiration for him. I want it to be an uplifting film that doesn’t shy away from the struggles that he had, but shows that he had a way through it. Love played a big part in that.”