Into the Woods Meryl Streep H 2014
Evan Agostini/Invision/APWith the U.K. general election just three weeks away, the all-star drama telling the story of the courageous fight for women’s voting rights in Britain at the turn of the 20th century now has been given a release date.
Suffragette is set to open across the U.K. on Oct. 30, hinting that it could be a major feature in the London Film Festival — which will take place Oct. 7-18 — and underlining its chances as a possible awards-season early favorite, much like The Imitation Game, which opened the 2014 festival. Additionally, last year, Suffragette became the first film to be shot in the U.K.’s Houses of Parliament.
Aiding Suffragette‘s awards potential is not just its historic, political punch, but its casting of Meryl Streep, who plays the real-life British activist and leader of the suffragette movement Emmeline Pankhurst. Other castmembers include Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Anne-Marie Duff and Ben Whishaw.
Sarah Gavron directed the film, having reteamed with her Brick Lane screenwriter Abi Morgan (The Iron Lady, Shame), while Faye Ward and Alison Owen (Saving Mr. Banks) produced.
Suffragette was produced by Ruby Films for Pathe, Film4 and the BFI in association with Redgill Productions and with the participation of Canal+ and Cine-Cinema. Its exec producers are Cameron McCracken, Tessa Ross, Rose Garnett, Nik Bower, James Schamus and Teresa Moneo. The late Christopher Collins was the lead executive for the BFI.
The film has been picked up by Focus Features for North America and is due for a limited release Oct. 23.
