Sally Hawkins and Rhys Ifans join Mark Rylance in The Fantastic Flitcrofts

Two-time Oscar® nominee Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water, Blue Jasmine, recent work includes Eternal Beauty), and BAFTA nominee Rhys Ifans (upcoming The King’s Man, The Amazing Spider-Man), have joined the cast of comedy-drama The Fantastic Flitcrofts alongside Mark Rylance as shooting begins in the UK.

BAFTA Award-winning filmmaker and actor Craig Roberts is directing the film, from a screenplay by BAFTA-winning writer, Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2). Farnaby adapted the script from his own book “The Phantom of the Open”, co-written by Scott Murray.

The film tells the heart-warming true story of Maurice Flitcroft (Rylance), a dreamer and unrelenting optimist, who managed to gain entry to The British Open Golf Championship qualifying in 1976 and subsequently shot the worst round in Open history, becoming a folk hero in the process.

Jake Davies (Artemis Fowl, A Confession), Christian Lees (Speechless, Sun Records), Jonah Lees (The Letter for the King, Sun Records), Mark Lewis Jones (Gangs of London, The Crown), and Johann Myers (Yardie, Silent Witness and upcoming Padan Fain in Wheel of Time) round out the cast.

Ahead of the shoot, eOne has acquired UK distribution rights. Cornerstone Films who is overseeing worldwide sales and distribution has also closed deals with; A CONTRACORRIENTE FILMS (Spain), Scanbox (Scandinavia), Ascot Elite (Switzerland), and a multi-territory deal with Universal Pictures Content Group including Germany, Austria, Italy, Benelux, Greece, Portugal, Turkey, Eastern Europe, Latin America, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Africa, Australia & New Zealand, Middle East, Israel and CIS and Baltics.

THE FANTASTIC FLITCROFTS is produced by Water & Power’s Tom Miller, Baby Cow Films’ Nichola Martin, and Kate Glover. The film is executive produced by Christine Langan and James Swarbrick together with Cornerstone Films’ Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder, Ingenious Media’s Peter Touche, and Christelle Conan, the BFI’s Mary Burke and BBC Film’s Rose Garnett.

The film was developed by the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery and BBC Film. Funding comes from the BFI and BBC Film, together with Ingenious Media with the film being sold by Cornerstone Films.

Roberts reteams with Eternal Beauty cinematographer Kit Fraser (Under the Shadow), Sarah Finlay (Ammonite, Juliet, Naked), is production designer, Jonathan Amos (Paddington 2, Baby Driver), serves as editor and Shaheen Baig (Dream Horse, Fighting With My Family) is the casting director.

Tom Miller said, “We are beyond excited by this incredible cast led by Mark, Sally, and Rhys; fantastic script; amazing director; brilliant crew – hopefully we’ll do Maurice proud.”

Nichola Martin said, “This is such a talented group of people – a dream cast and superb technicians – it’s a real thrill to be working with them to tell this wonderful story.”

Hawkins is represented by Conway van Gelder Grant, Ifans by UTA, 42 and Brillstein Entertainment Partners, Davies by Bloomfields Welch Management and Thruline Entertainment, Christian and Jonah Lees by A3 Artists Agency, Insight Management & Production and Creative Partners Group, Jones by Independent Talent Group and Myers by Michelle Braidman Associates.

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