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Greed/ Rocketman
BAFTA-winning director Michael Winterbottom has once again worked with Steve Coogan for Greed, a satire co-written by Winterbottom and Sean Gray (Veep/The Thick of It). To quote FilmOn 4, Channel 4 TV’s feature film division: “Greed is the fictional story of a retail billionaire, set in the glamorous and celebrity-filled world of luxury fashion, which is centred around the build-up to a spectacular 60th birthday party in an exclusive hotel on the Greek island of Mykonos.”
As The Guardian has noted: “Any resemblance to Philip Green is strictly coincidental.” The cast is led by Coogan, Isla Fisher and David Mitchell, and is rounded out by Shirley Henderson, Asa Butterfield, Sarah Solemani, Stephen Fry and others. Rocketman – “based on a true fantasy”, according to a teaser trailer released a few months ago – has Taron Egerton, star of the Kingsman films, playing Sir Elton John in his early years, with Richard Madden as his manager, John Reid.
“It’s actually his songs used to express important beats in his life at emotional moments,” Egerton has said. “He’s not the only character that sings. It’s going to be fun.” The film is directed by Dexter Fletcher, who took over from Bryan Singer to complete the Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody.
Little Women
TWO months ago the first photograph appeared online of the actors who collectively make up the Little Women in the latest adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s evergreen story: Saoirse Ronan as Jo, Emma Watson as Meg, Florence Pugh as Amy, and Eliza Scanlen as Beth. The film is being directed by Greta Gerwig, whose solo directorial debut, Lady Bird (also starring Ronan) was nominated for no fewer than five Oscars and won a shoal of other awards. The film also stars Meryl Streep, Timothée Chalamet and Laura Dern.
It is a busy spell for Ronan: her latest film – Mary, Queen of Scots – is due in cinemas on January 18.