Ben Wheatley To Produce 'Berberian Sound Studio' Director Peter Strickland's 'The Duke of Burgundy'

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by Charlie Schmidlin
December 13, 2012 10:41 AM
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In each successive picture since his 2009 black comedy “Down Terrace,” filmmaker Ben Wheatley has continually evaded expectation to create a swirl of genre delights, from his hitman horror “Kill List” to this year's “Sightseers.” He's also taken a liking to producing for others as well, and as befitting his modus operandi thus far, his latest project concerns a director unique in his vision.

Having recently garnered a wave of British Independent Awards this past Sunday for his hypnotic “Berberian Sound Studio,” director Peter Strickland has confirmed Wheatley's Rook Films label will produce his next picture, “The Duke of Burgundy.” In addition to marking the first film under Rook that Wheatley himself hasn't helmed, the dark melodrama also has found backing from the British Film Institute on its path to production.

The film follows an amateur lepidopterist -- played by “Berberian” actress Chiara D'Anna and immersed in the study of butterflies and moths - whose tangential desires test the limits of her lover's tolerance. Vague as it remains, Strickland looks to be going for a similarly claustrophobic and detail-oriented exercise as was seen in his last film, and with Wheatley's input as well (while he finishes his Civil War picture "A Field in England"), the end result is bound to be just as interesting. [Variety]

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