Source: Press Release
Australia’s Transmission Films has welcomed the start of filming in Scotland today of The Railway Man, directed by Jonathan Teplitzky (Burning Man) and starring Oscar winners Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman and emerging star Jeremy Irvine.
Stellan Skarsgård and Hiroyuki Sanada have also joined the stellar cast.
Principal photography starts in Scotland on April 30. The 10-week shoot then moves to Thailand and Queensland, Australia.
Adapted by Frank Cottrell Boyce and Andy Paterson from Eric Lomax’s best-selling book, The Railway Man is the epic true story of a war hero and the woman who matched his courage to reclaim the man she loved.
Eric Lomax (Firth) was one of thousands of Allied prisoners of war forced to work on the construction of the Thai/Burma railway during WW2. Years later, still haunted by memories of brutality and torture, he met a beautiful woman on a train.
Patti (Kidman) was determined to rid Eric of his demons. With the help of a wartime colleague (Skarsgård), she set up a mission back to the Bridge on the River Kwai where Eric would confront his tormentor, Nagase (Sanada).
The Railway Man is an inspiring true story of heroism and humanity.
Jonathan Teplitzky will direct. The producers are Andy Paterson (Girl With A Pearl Earring), Chris Brown (The Proposition) and Bill Curbishley (Quadrophenia, McVicar).Executive Producers are Claudia Blümhuber and Ian Hutchinson from Silver Reel, Zygi Kamasa for Lionsgate UK, Anand Tucker and Daria Jovicic.
The film is an Australia/UK co-production between Pictures in Paradise and Archer Street, backed by Screen Australia in association with Silver Reel, Screen Queensland, Creative Scotland and Lionsgate UK. Transmission will release the film in Australia and New Zealand.
“”We are overjoyed to be working with Jonathan, Andy and Chris again, and the accomplished creative team and cast they’ve brought together for what we know will be a remarkable film. The Railway Man is truly an international production, with a story that has roots in Australia plus a wealth of Australia talent in front and behind the camera. This will be a major film for 2013,” said Transmission Films’ Andrew Mackie.
