Ben Wheatley project announced as first feature from Film4.0 slate

4 September 2012

Film4 is excited to announce Ben Wheatley's latest project, A Field in England, which is the first feature to be developed and fully financed through its talent and ideas hub Film4.0.

Michael Smiley (Kill List), Peter Ferdinando (Tony), Reece Shearsmith (The League of Gentlemen), Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh), Richard Glover (Sightseers) & Ryan Pope (Ideal) will star in the English Civil War set film.

England : 1648 AD

A small group of deserters flee from a raging battle through an overgrown field. They are captured by two men: O'Neil and Cutler.

O'Neil (Michael Smiley), an alchemist, forces the group to aid him in his search to find a hidden treasure that he believes is buried in the field.

Crossing a vast mushroom circle, which provides their first meal, the group quickly descend into a chaos of arguments, fighting and paranoia, and, as it becomes clear that the treasure might be something other than gold, they slowly become victim to the terrifying energies trapped inside the field.

A Field in England is a psychedelic trip into magic and madness from Ben Wheatley - award-winning director of Down Terrace, Kill List and Sightseers.

The film is written by Amy Jump & Ben Wheatley and produced by Claire Jones & Andy Starke, with Anna Higgs Executive Producer for Film4. Shooting commences late September. Protagonist Pictures are handling international sales.

A Field in England is the latest collaboration between Film4, Wheatley and Rook Films, following last year's acclaimed Kill List and forthcoming release Sightseers, which premiered to rave reviews in Cannes and is being released on 30th November by STUDIOCANAL.

A Field in England will be Wheatley's next film before the already announced Freakshift, which is set to shoot in early 2013 in partnership with Film4 and Lava Bear Films.

Ben Wheatley says: "It's great to be continuing the relationship with Film4 and Film4.0. A Field in England is a project that we have been talking about for years and are very excited about making. It brings together the more psychedelic elements of Kill List and Sightseers and weaves in our take on Historical drama."

Anna Higgs, Commissioning Editor for Film4.0, says: "One of the central strands of Film4.0 is to work with directors and producers in new and agile ways, so it's fitting that our first project should be with Ben, who is one of the industry's most original and exciting filmmakers. A Field in England is a brilliantly compelling story that builds on Ben's innovative work to date, I'm excited to be working with both him and Rook Films to forge new paths right across development, production and distribution."

Producers Claire Jones & Andy Starke say: "Working with Film 4.0 is a unique opportunity to approach all aspects of film production in a different and exciting way. It's a model that allows us to embrace the new technologies and platforms that are changing and challenging traditional film making methods every day."

 

Editor's Notes

Film4.0

In 2011 Film4 launched its pioneering role in exploring innovation in filmmaking with the appointment of Anna Higgs as Head of Film4.0. Film4.0 is a talent and idea driven hub within Film4 that works with emerging and established talent, supporting them to tell unique stories and connect with audiences in new ways.