Hull's Old Town to feature at Toronto International Film Festival as Dev Patel movie gets special presentation

Film fans across the Atlantic will catch a glimpse of cobbled Yorkshire streets when a blockbuster British feature is shown as a special presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Dev Patel as David Copperfield. Courtesy of Lionsgate UK.Dev Patel as David Copperfield. Courtesy of Lionsgate UK.
Dev Patel as David Copperfield. Courtesy of Lionsgate UK.

Director Armando Iannucci's film The Personal History of David Copperfield, which stars Dev Patel in the main role, will be have its North American premiere at the Canadian event.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In July last year, Hull's Old Town was transformed to look like 1840 London, with filming on location around Prince Street and the Land of Green Ginger.

The director said: "Delighted that the North American premiere of The Personal History of David Copperfield, will be on the first night of Toronto Film Festival, and the European Premiere will be the Opening Night of the London Film Festival. There’s now NO escape."

It was previously announced that the 63rd BFI London Film Festival will open by hosting the film on Wednesday October 2 at Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square, and it was revealed in the first round of titles selected for the gala and Special Presentations at TIFF.

“Some of the year’s biggest films will land in Toronto this September,” said Cameron Bailey, co-head and artistic director of TIFF, adding that it will "bring the brightest lights in film to our festival audience.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Our new programming team has been hard at work for months to deliver the compelling stories, acclaimed filmmakers, and top onscreen talent that mark our two highest-profile sections.”

Dev Patel as David Copperfield. Courtesy of Lionsgate UK.Dev Patel as David Copperfield. Courtesy of Lionsgate UK.
Dev Patel as David Copperfield. Courtesy of Lionsgate UK.

The festival's executive director Joana Vicente said: “I’m delighted to step into my first festival as TIFF co-head to such a powerful slate of films.

“Fast-paced, boundary-pushing, satirical — this lineup has films representing every corner of the cinematic landscape on top of a strong number of World Premieres. It’s a pleasure to be able to share these films with audiences for the first time.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Iannucci's film will be released by Lionsgate UK and is a FilmNation Entertainment and Film4 Production.

Prince Street in Hull. Picture by Gary Longbottom.Prince Street in Hull. Picture by Gary Longbottom.
Prince Street in Hull. Picture by Gary Longbottom.

An avid Dickens fan, Iannucci - the award-winning writer/director of The Thick of It, In the Loop, Veep and The Death of Stalin - has worked alongside frequent collaborator Simon Blackwell, employing his "comedic mastery" to create the film.

From birth to adulthood, the good-hearted David Copperfield is surrounded by kindness, wickedness, poverty and wealth, as he meets an array of remarkable characters in Victorian England, according to the synopsis.

Shot on location in the UK, the film is produced by Kevin Loader and Iannucci and also stars Peter Capaldi, Ben Whishaw, Aneurin Barnard, Daisy May Cooper, Morfydd Clark, Benedict Wong, Gwendoline Christie, Anthony Welsh and Rosalind Eleazar.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Suzie Harman and Robert Worley served as costume designers, Cristina Casali as production designer, Christopher Willis as composer and Karen Hartley-Thomas as hair and make-up designer.

Other Film4-backed features appearing at the Toronto festival include Justin Kurzel's adaptation of Peter Carey’s novel, True History of the Kelly Gang, starring George MacKay, Essie Davis, Nicholas Hoult and Russell Crowe; Coky Giedroyc's rendition of Caitlin Moran's best-selling novel, How To Build a Girl, starring Beanie Feldstein; and Michael Winterbottom’s new satire set in the glamorous world of luxury fashion, Greed, starring Steve Coogan, Isla Fisher and David Mitchell.

The full schedule for the 44th TIFF, which takes place September 5 to 15, will be released on August 20.

Related topics: