Following up his drama Another Year, Mike Leigh has been developing a biopic on British artist J.M.W. Turner for the last few years. After securing a star with his previous collaborator Timothy Spall, we finally have a vague idea of when we’ll be able to see it. According to a press release, Sony Pictures Classics have reteamed with the helmer and picked up the project for a 2014 release.
While still untitled, the distributor called it the director’s “most ambitious film yet,” which backs up previous comments from Leigh, in which he said, “You don’t make a film about Turner and cut the exteriors. This is a guy who strapped himself to the mast of a ship to paint a storm. He’s for real. So, yes, expensive.” We’re certainly intrigued to see what kind of scope this one will have, paired with Leigh’s sensibilities. Check out Leigh’s statement below regarding the project as we await more casting.
“Turner as a character is compelling I want to explore the man, his working life, his relationships and how he lived. But what fascinates me most is the drama that lies in the tension between this driven eccentric and the epic, timeless world he evoked in his masterpieces. I also see rich tragic-comic potential in his often turbulent relationship with the English Art Establishment, especially in his later years, when his increasingly radical work was misunderstood and derided.”
Production kicks off this spring.
Are you looking forward to the next film from Leigh?