Luke Treadaway & Felicity Jones To Star In British Period Drama 'Cheerful Weather For The Wedding'

by Oliver Lyttelton
November 30, 2010 2:37 AM
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Mackenzie Crook and Elizabeth McGovern Also On Board

A couple of years back, Focus Features proved that, if you found a mostly forgotten comic novel from the early 20th century, cast it right, and displayed a light enough touch with it, you could end up with a modest sleeper hit like "Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day." There hasn't exactly been a deluge of copycats so far, but filming's just kicked off on a new British film that hopes to repeat the formula.

Screen Daily reports that shooting is underway on "Cheerful Weather For The Wedding," based on the 1932 novella by Julia Strachey, which will be directed by acclaimed shorts helmer Donald Rice, who was behind the award-winning "I Am Bob" (watch it below). Rising stars Luke Treadaway ("Brothers of the Head," "Clash of the Titans") and Felicity Jones ("Cemetery Junction") will topline, with Mackenzie Crook ("The Office," "Pirates of the Caribbean") and Elizabeth McGovern (star of the huge British TV hit "Downton Abbey") also among the cast.

The plot involves Dolly (Jones), a girl who turns to a bottle of rum to get her through the morning of her wedding, with, one expects, hilarious consequences. Filming's underway in Wiltshire at the moment, and it'll presumably hit theaters sometime next year. Teun Hilte ("Black Book") is producing and Rice co-wrote the script with newcomer Mary Heneley-Magill.

We're big fans of both of the leads, particularly Jones, who seems to be a very hot property at the moment, with rom-com "Chalet Girl," Britflick "This Beautiful Fantastic" and the thriller "Trap For Cinderella" on the way. While it sounds a tad generic in setup, if it proves as gently enjoyable as 'Miss Pettigrew' that's no bad thing.