Latest news with #PromisingYoungWoman
News18
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Jacob Elordi Wanted To Take An Acting Break Before Being Offered Wuthering Heights: 'I Was Really Lucky'
Published By : Bang Showbiz Jacob Elordi planned a break from acting but accepted a role in 'Wuthering Heights' after a text from director Emerald Fennell. Jacob Elordi was planning to take a break from acting before being offered 'Wuthering Heights'. The 27-year-old actor revealed he was planning a career break after a busy few years but when his 'Saltburn' director Emerald Fennell texted him about the opportunity to play Heathcliff opposite Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw, he couldn't say no. Jacob told IndieWire: 'I was really lucky. I was going to take a break for a while, and then Emerald just very simply texted me, and you can't run from that text." And, Jacob loved working with 'Barbie' star Margot, saying: 'She's incredible in the film, she's a livewire. I'm so, so excited for people to see it. She's a beautiful actor and she gave so, so much." Along with Jacob and Margot, the cast includes Shazad Latif as Edgar Linton, Hong Chau as Nelly Dean, and Jacob's 'Saltburn' co-star Alison Oliver as Isabella Linton. Margot will produce through her LuckyChap production company, marking the third collaboration between Fennell and LuckyChap after 'Saltburn' and 'Promising Young Woman'. 'Wuthering Heights' is due to drop in February 2026, and Emerald Fennell told fans last year that an adaptation of the classic novel would be her third feature film. She wrote on social media: 'Be with me always – take any form – drive me mad", which is a line from the novel. Actor Barry Keoghan, who also starred opposite Jacob Elordi in 'Saltburn', previously admitted he would be interested in a part in the movie. He told Variety: 'Anything that Emerald puts her hands on, I'm there. She's incredible." Speaking about Emerald's work, Margot previously said: 'Emerald immerses you into a world so quickly. She's so masterful at tone and plot. 'She gets in your brain and she kind of taps into the most depraved parts of it, so that you're complicit in the story. That's the watercooler moment – the thing that people are talking about two weeks afterwards." First Published:
See - Sada Elbalad
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Jacob Elordi 'Was Going to Take a Break' Before "Wuthering Heights" Role
Yara Sameh Jacob Elordi was ready for some time off until the opportunity for "Wuthering Heights" came. Shooting for "Wuthering Heights" recently wrapped in the U.K., and it's Elordi's second collaboration with the director Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman, The Danish Girl), since 2023's "Saltburn". So, when it came to casting for the project, the actor was able to skip the audition part. 'I was really lucky. I was going to take a break for a while, and then Emerald just very simply texted me, and you can't run from that text,' Elordi told IndieWire . The movie stars Margot Robbie opposite Elordi, and is an adaption of Emily Brontë's novel of the same name, which follows the tumultuous relationship between Catherine Earnshaw (Robbie) and Heathcliff (Elordi) that's passionate and intense after meeting at the eponymous residence and the impact the relationship has on their families. The actor teased what it was like to work closely with the Barbie actress. 'She's incredible in the film, she's a livewire. I'm so, so excited for people to see it,' he said. 'She's a beautiful actor and she gave so, so much.' Elordi has Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" coming out later this year and is currently filming the highly anticipated third season of HBO's "Euphoria". Robbie, meanwhile, has "A Big Bold Beautiful Journey", in which she stars alongside Colin Farrell, set to premiere in September. "Wuthering Heights" is set to release from Warner Bros. in February of next year. Robbie's production company LuckyChap Entertainment is producing. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Arts & Culture Arwa Gouda Gets Married (Photos)
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jacob Elordi says Adolescence actor Owen Cooper was 'intimidating' on Netflix's Wuthering Heights
Jacob Elordi says 'Adolescence' actor Owen Cooper was "intimidating" on the set of Netflix's 'Wuthering Heights'. The 27-year-old actor will portray Heathcliff in the forthcoming film adaptation of Emily Brontë's 1847 novel, opposite Owen, who will play a younger version of the character. Owen Cooper, 15, shot to fame in Netflix's recent drama 'Adolescence', portraying a teenager accused of the murder of a female classmate, and Elordi admitted his co-star was "brilliant" on the 'Wuthering Heights' set. Speaking to Australian TV's '10 News First' about working with teenager, he said: "He's a rock star. He's brilliant and he's intimidating." Jacob Elordi also praised Owen for being a "tremendous actor", and told how the youngster wasn't nervous ahead of filming for the psychological drama movie. He said: "I think the first time I met him I asked, 'Are you nervous mate,' and he went, 'No,' and I thought, 'Cool ... cool, me neither. "But, no, he is a tremendous actor." As well as Owen Cooper and Jacob Elordi, the movie - which will be directed by Emerald Fennell - will also feature Hollywood actress Margot Robbie as leading lady Catherine Earnshaw. What's more, Shazad Latif will portray Edgar Linton, Hong Chau is cast as Nelly Dean, and Jacob's 'Saltburn' co-star Alison Oliver will play Isabella Linton. Margot Robbie will produce through her LuckyChap production company, marking the third collaboration between Fennell and LuckyChap after 'Saltburn' and 'Promising Young Woman'. 'Wuthering Heights' is due to drop in February 2026, and Emerald Fennell told fans last year that an adaptation of the classic novel would be her third feature film. She wrote on social media: "Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad", which is a line from the novel. Actor Barry Keoghan, who also starred opposite Jacob Elordi in 'Saltburn', previously admitted he would be interested in a part in the movie. He told Variety: "Anything that Emerald puts her hands on, I'm there. She's incredible." Speaking about Emerald's work, Margot Robbie previously said: "Emerald immerses you into a world so quickly. She's so masterful at tone and plot. "She gets in your brain and she kind of taps into the most depraved parts of it, so that you're complicit in the story. "That's the watercooler moment – the thing that people are talking about two weeks afterwards."
Buzz Feed
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Here Are 11 Book To Movie Adaptations That Totally Nailed It, And 11 That Missed The Mark Entirely
If you haven't been on social media for the past month, you might have missed the ongoing conversation about Emerald Fennell 's upcoming film, Wuthering Heights, adapted from Emily Brontë's 1847 classic novel. You probably know Emerald as the director who brought us Promising Young Woman, and more recently, Saltburn. But despite her credentials, pretty much every emerging detail about her Wuthering Heights has been veeeerrry polarizing online — from the alleged whitewashing of one of the main characters, to Margot Robbie's historically inaccurate wedding dress. The movie is set to come out in February 2026, so we've got a while to go until we see the extent of Emerald's vision for the book. While we wait, however, I thought we could take a look at some of the greatest adaptations of some of our favorite books, and reflect on other adaptations that probably shouldn't have been made in the first place. 1. Emma, 2020 — dir. Autumn de Wilde We're starting out strong with one of my personal fave period adaptations. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 86%, the 2020 adaptation of Emma has a stellar cast and totally delivers. While it's definitely not the first adaptation of the source material that we've seen, there's no doubt that Anya Taylor Joy's performance brought something completely new and fresh to Jane Austen's beloved matchmaking heroine. Extra points for Josh O'Connor absolutely devouring his role as Mr. Elton. He made me laugh so hard in the cinema I almost snorted popcorn butter out of my nose. 2. Little Women, 2019 — dir. Greta Gerwig Greta Gerwig, I owe you my life. Before we had the Barbie movie, Greta brought us the incredible 2019 adaptation of Little Women. This film was destined for greatness based on the casting alone — giving us Saoirse Ronan as the headstrong Jo, Florence Pugh as Amy, and Timothée Chalamet as Laurie. There are so many moments from the movie that moved fans everywhere that it'd be hard to list them all, but a highlight for me is definitely Jo's monologue. 'I just feel that… Women…' Enough said. 3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, 2012 — dir. Stephen Chbosky Another super beloved book whose adaptation did not leave fans hungry, which probably has a lot to do with the fact that the movie's director, Stephen Chbosky, was the same dude that wrote the original novel. The film had great critical reception after it was released, winning an Independent Spirit Award, as well as two Critics' Choice Awards. And if you were on Tumblr anywhere in the mid 2010s, you'll definitely be familiar with the iconic tunnel scene. It just goes to show that if you want something done right, do it yourself. 4. The Hunger Games, 2012-2026 — dir. Gary Ross, Francis Lawrence The dystopian franchise to end all other dystopian franchises. It's undeniable that T he Hunger Games movies defined a whole genre, and for good reason. Jennifer Lawrence's portrayal of Katniss Everdeen made her one of the most memorable protagonists of a generation, and the franchise is so beloved that we're still getting movies in the 2020s — and from the reception of the recent book, Sunrise on the Reaping, it looks like things are just going to get better from here. 5. Holes, 2003 — dir. Andrew Davis Anyone else remember watching this in class, or was that just me? Louis Sachar's weird and wonderful novel translated super well to screen for a movie that was just as weird and wonderful. The movie was a total hit, making over triple the original $20 million budget at the box office, and earned a Critics' Choice Award for Best Family Film. 6. Life of Pi, 2012 — dir. Ang Lee Adapted from Yann Martel's 2001 novel, Ang Lee's Life of Pi brought a gorgeous tale of magical realism to the screen in the best way possible. Suraj Sharma's performance as the protagonist Piscine 'Pi' Patel is completely captivating, as is Gautam Belur as a young Pi. The movie snagged Ang a Best Director Academy Award, as well as a Best Picture nomination. Deserved, King. 7. Gone Girl, 2014 — dir. David Fincher Bless the casting director gods for this one. Rosamund Pike as Gillian Flynn's wily protagonist Amy, acting opposite Ben Affleck as Nick was truly a gift from a higher power. Despite the novel containing tons of information and introspection via Amy's diaries, the film does a fantastic job at delivering exposition in a smooth, pacey way. Lest we forget the 'Cool Girl' monologue, which is an absolutely all-timer. 8. The Lord of the Rings, 2001-2003 — dir. Peter Jackson Peter Johnson certainly did his big one with these movies. If you love them as much as I do, you'll know that he certainly set the bar for fantasy adaptations of epic proportions. Shooting all three blockbusters simultaneously might sound like a huge risk, but Peter's adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's series has a huge fan following, and the the final movie in the trilogy, The Return of the King, was such a critical hit that it holds the record for most Academy Award wins, after it won all of the eleven Oscars that it was nominated for. Which, in my eyes, means Viggo Mortensen breaking his toe kicking an Uruk-Hai helmet in the second movie was totally worth it. 9. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, 2010 — dir. Edgar Wright I'm in lesbians with this movie. While adaptations of graphic novels (especially ones as wacky and cartoonish as Scott Pilgrim) could easily flop, Edgar Wright leans into the video game aesthetic of Scott's world perfectly, and his adaptation is a total cult classic. With iconic scenes like the hair dye sequence, the vegan fighting powers, and Brie Larson's generational cover of 'Black Sheep,' this film absolutely delivers. Also, the cast is totally stacked — Edgar brought us Kieran Culkin as the iconic Wallace Wells, and for that, he deserves the world. 10. How To Train Your Drago n, 2010-2019 — dir. Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois Be warned, I'm about to blaspheme: the How To Train Your Dragon franchise is one of the uncommon instances where the movies completely outshine the books. That's definitely not to say that the books are bad — I read Cressida Cowell's series as a kid, and really enjoyed them. But Dean DeBlois's movie trilogy altered the story completely, and turned the source material into a soaring success. With a stunning narrative, breathtaking animated sequences, and one of my favorite musical scores of all time, the three movies are super loved all around the world. Because if you don't ascend out of your body while listening to 'Test Drive,' you and I are not the same. 11. Dune, 2021-2024 — dir. Denis Villeneuve Are you already hearing the music in your head? I certainly am. Finishing off our adaptation wins list is Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of the Dune Saga. His two movies have been global hits, and there's only more to come. With a cast full of stars, Dune and Dune: Part Two were already set for success, but Denis' adaptations are also visually stunning. A huge testament to the beauty of the big screen. I can't wait to see the next one. And now... The not so great. 1. Persuasion, 2022 — dir. Carrie Cracknell I don't know if you remember, but after the trailer for Carrie Cracknell's adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion dropped, it seemed like the movie was doomed from the start. If you weren't an English major like me, you might not be familiar with the source material. To give a quick recap, most fans' main issue with the adaptation was the interpretation of Anne Elliot, the book's protagonist, and Dakota's character. While some Austen heroines can definitely translate pretty well into more comedic and modern versions, Anne is probably not one of them — she's quiet, calm, and deeply caring. She definitely doesn't have Elizabeth Bennet's sharp tongue or Emma Woodhouse's unserious outlook. She's also extremely introspective, and probably above all else: so sad. Which means that a Fleabag -esque fourth-wall-breaking comedy probably wasn't the best choice for Anne. 2. Artemis Fowl, 2020 — dir. Kenneth Branagh Disney+ / Courtesy Everett Collection When adapting a book for the big screen, any director would tell you that there will have to be changes to the source material. However, when your main character is a clear-cut villain, that usually stays the same. Not for Artemis Fowl, though! Kenneth Branagh's decision to axe the 'criminal' part of 'criminal mastermind' angered a ton of fans who pointed out the flaws in the story's overall execution. The film also received a lot of criticism for the race-swapping of characters, with the deuteragonist Holly Short being played by a white actress despite being described as canonically brown-skinned in the books. Not to mention the Butler of it all. Yikes. 3. The Golden Compass, 2007 — dir. Chris Weitz If you're familiar with Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, you'll know that those books are jam-packed with wonderful world-building and great descriptive scenes. Unfortunately, a lot of the exposition for The Golden Compass didn't translate well into a film format. Many fans criticized the monologue-heavy way of introducing characters and ideas that made the storytelling suffer as a result. Chris Weitz's The Golden Compass was movie that definitely had potential for greatness, but ultimately failed to pull through. 4. Stormbreaker, 2006 — dir. Geoffrey Sax If you were an Alex Rider fan as a kid, you'll know that this movie definitely left fans wanting. Despite the screenplay coming from the original writer of the series, Anthony Horowitz, the movie underperformed at the box office which resulted in the cancellation of all sequels. And for a 13-book series, this probably wasn't what the producers originally had in mind. In 2020, Amazon developed a TV series, which garnered much more favorable reviews. 5. The Dark Tower, 2017 — dir. Nikolaj Arcel Not even Idris Elba could save this movie. Based on Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, the movie underwent an excruciating 10 years of production before its eventual release. The original novels are filled to the brim with incredible lore, and yet the movie fails to deliver on any of the wonder present in the source material. And possibly worst of all, there was also the inexplicable decision to take the focus away from the series' protagonist Roland (played by Idris) and center on Jake Chambers — I don't know a single person who read these books for Jake Chambers. 6. The Hobbit, 2012-2014 — dir. Peter Jackson I know what you're thinking. If Peter Jackson was the genius behind the LOTR movies, what the hell happened with The Hobbit? There are a lot of explanations, but one of the worst offenders to me was the decision to split a pretty short book into three movies — that are all three hours long. Fans attribute the heavy reliance on CGI as well as the weird pacing as the reasons why these movies didn't deliver. There's also the fact that Peter himself has spoken about how he 'didn't know what he was doing' with The Hobbit series, and seeing as he only got a couple months of prep time as opposed to the years of LOTR pre-production, it definitely makes sense. 7. Eragon, 2006 — dir. Stephen Fangmeier Serious question: what was going on in 2006 that made it such a tragic year for movie adaptations? Eragon is another on our list that suffered due to the changes from the source material. Fans criticized the mischaracterization of Saphira, as well as the overall quality of the script being clunky and narratively hard to follow. Another one with incredible potential that unfortunately missed the mark. 8. The Giver, 2014 — dir. Phillip Noyce Lois Lowry's 1993 dystopian novel seems as though it would be good on the big screen, but when executed, many fans thought it lost a ton of the nuance portrayed in the source material. What was originally a story about conformism and alienation from society turned into a narrative with an ending stripped of any ambiguity that made the the whole movie a lot more black and white than the book (pun very much intended). Also, I totally forgot that Taylor Swift was in this movie. Nothing to add, I just remembered the fact. Wild. 9. Divergent, 2014-2016 — dir. Neil Burger, Robert Schwentke I will say this: these movies brought us leather-clad Theo James, and for that, I am eternally grateful. However, it can't be ignored that these movies left audiences so disappointed that the fourth installment in the series was just straight up cancelled. While the book series is a trilogy, there was originally a fourth movie planned, as Allegiant was set to be adapted into Part One and Part Two. However, after Allegiant 's dire underperformance at the box office, the fourth film was axed before production could start, meaning that the series ended on a total cliffhanger. However, (spoiler for the books) given that the series ended on the protagonist literally dying, maybe audiences were spared a disappointing finish. 10. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, 2013 — dir. Harald Zwart Remember this dumpster fire? Despite the perfection that was Jamie Lee Campbell being cast as Jace, the movie adaptation of Cassandra Clare's series failed to deliver in a lot of ways and fans were left disappointed. Tons of world-building was crammed into a too-small setting, and the film's rushed portrayal of Clary and Jace's romance led to the sibling revelation coming way too early. The sequel to City of Bones, City of Ashes was cancelled during development, and fans were definitely not upset. 11. Percy Jackson, 2010-2013 — dir. Chris Columbus, Thor Freudenthal A disclaimer: I think these movies can definitely be enjoyed. The Lotus Casino scene lives rent free in my brain. If you ignore the books, you're free to have a great time with these two films. However, on my honor as a former Percy Jackson kid, I would be remiss not to include them. Fans of the original series regard the film versions of The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters as two of the worst examples of book to movie adaptations, mainly because of the magnitude of the changes made to the story. The characters being aged up was a huge point of contention, as well as clumsy dialogue, disappointing visual effects, and a romance subplot that felt very rushed. However, I have to admit — 'This is a pen' always gets a laugh out of me.
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Why ‘Very British' ‘The Ballad Of Wallis Island' Is Charming Americans
Tom Basden, Tim Key and Carey Mulligan star in 'The Ballad of Wallis Island.' "Audiences are not giving the responses that we thought they would, in that they are really enjoying it and get all the jokes," actor and co-writer Tom Basden explains with a laugh as we discuss the hilarious and quirky British comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island. The film, which co-stars co-writer Tim Key, has gone down a storm at film festivals before a limited theatrical release in Los Angeles and New York on Friday, March 28, 2025, ahead of a national rollout. "Generally, it feels like people are on board, and they like the humor, which is a lovely surprise for us because it's very British. The tone is very British, and the characters feel very British in that they're quite guarded. My character is quite guarded, and Tim's is insufferably talkative, which are two types of people that you meet a lot in in the UK. We've been bowled over by how audiences have responded to the film. We're feeling very bullish about getting it out to the rest of the country. We have no idea how it will fare outside the festival circuit, but we're excited to find out." Key interjects, "I've gone the other way now, where we've only seen it twice, both times have been in America, so you now think, 'Well, maybe the sting in the tail is when it goes back to the UK, no one gets it.'" The comedy duo created the feature out of a short film they made almost twenty years ago. The Ballad of Wallis Island sees Key play Charles, an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island and dreams of reuniting his favorite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer, a duo played by Basden and Promising Young Woman's Carey Mulligan, for a private show. When the estranged pair accept the offer, old tensions rise as Charles tries to salvage the gig. Acclaimed comedians and writers in their native UK, are Basden and Key ready for the Hollywood spotlight that made household names out of the likes of Hugh Grant when Four Weddings and a Funeral dropped? "Are you saying there can only be one Hugh Grant out of the two of us?" Basden jokes. "I will have to warn my wife about that if that's if that's down the pipe. I think we're allowed to do that, and I don't think we have to replicate every single one of Hugh Grant's moves, even if Americans like the film." "I think that's the most frightening question we've had today," Key adds. "We just want to quietly show the film to people and then go home. Four Weddings is amazing, and Hugh is amazing. If people in America enjoy the film and our performances, we're not stifled by it being too British, that becomes quite a charming thing for them, and that would be a good thing because we might be able to make another movie." (Left to right) Co-writer/actor Tom Basden, director James Griffiths and actor Carey Mulligan on the ... More set of 'The Ballad of Wallis Island.' So why did it take almost two decades for the pair to turn their short into a long? "At one point, there was a sort of one-page treatment because we got funding to develop it into a feature, but then decided to develop a different film instead," Key, also known for Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa and recently seen in Mickey 17, recalls. "I think it was a sort of vague idea that instead of just having one person, my character arranged a festival, and he'd hoodwinked maybe more people. That was our base thing that we didn't believe in enough to make, basically. Tom and I are good friends, so we see each other a lot, and we loved making the short with our director, James Griffiths; we stayed in touch and worked with him on other stuff, but every three or four years, we'd be having a pint, thinking about other ideas, but maybe on the third pint we would go, 'We should make a feature of that short.'" "It wasn't something we didn't realize could be a feature; it was nagging at the back of our minds, and it'd be great to return to it. We didn't know what the feature would be that we'd been sitting on for 17 years. It was more waiting for that one bit that would unlock it, which is probably in the character of Nell, which opens up a backstory for Herb and opens up this world that doesn't exist anymore, that I fell in love with, he inhabited, and that became the engine room of the feature that wasn't in the short." (Left to right) Tim Key, Carey Mulligan, Tom Basden at the 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' Premiere ... More during the SXSW Conference & Festivals on March 8, 2025 in Austin, Texas. In order for the fictional band to work, McGwyer Mortimer needed a back catalog of work, and, as with the first incarnation, that fell to Basden. "I had some of the songs from the short, and then I had other songs I'd written over the years because I like writing songs," he explains. "I then cobbled all of that stuff together in the lead-up to the shoot, wrote a few new ones and sort of hoped that would be okay." "The other thing to say is that in the short film, all of the songs come at the end. There's basically no music from my character until that point. In the feature, the songs are very important for the story and for unlocking something in the characters, particularly for Herb. It's only when he starts playing the music again that he begins to change, soften towards Charles, and fall back in love with Nell. Therefore, the music has to do quite a specific job, and its tone is informed by that. I felt I wasn't noodling at the guitar, hoping to find a melody. It was more like I knew I had to find the feel the songs had to have, and that was really useful when I was writing them." (Left to right) Carey Mulligan as Nell Mortimer and Tom Basden as Herb McGwyer in director James ... More Griffiths' 'The Ballad of Wallis Island.' Was there pressure on the pair to bring in a big-name recording artist to write additional material and maybe even sing it as a gimmick to help get butts in seats? "The funny thing is that when Carey agreed to the film, Tim said, 'Okay, well, we've got a pretty good in with Marcus Mumford, now,'" Basden, also known for After Life and David Brent: Life on the Road recalls. "I think there was an understanding from everyone, especially Carey and Marcus, that this is the way that we've worked so far, and this is how we're going to do it. They were really supportive and understanding of that and trusted me with it, which I was very grateful for because I'm not sure I would have trusted me." Key adds, "When we made the short, I was like, 'Can you do that?' Tom was going, 'Yeah, I can do that.' It seemed like such an enormous task that he did, but he was rock solid. In the original short, it was quite staggering. I don't think anyone else came in and said, 'Chris Martin would do a better job.'" "When Marcus Mumford says it's good, you sort of go, 'Oh, I thought it was good, but it's good to have the seal of approval.' My seal of approval is not worth much with music." (Left to right) Tom Basden as Herb McGwyer, Carey Mulligan as Nell Mortimer and Tim Key as Charles ... More in director James Griffiths' 'The Ballad of Wallis Island.' Although The Ballad of Wallis Island takes place on an island, it was actually filmed along the South West Wales coast. The natural environment and the indie's limited budget created challenges, but the pair worked hard to make that work for them. "The tide is terrible at continuity, so different takes were a nightmare," Basden laughs. "It's very cold. Even in the summer, the Welsh sea was not my friend so that we would get very cold. It's difficult, but it's not so difficult that you can't do it. It's not like we had written a car chase, and then we're like,' I guess we're just trying our best in this Fiat 500,' we were like, 'We'll be able to do this, but it's hard.'" Key continues, "In the script, the film opens with Herb arriving on the jetty and me walking down the jetty to meet him. That was a big issue, logistically and with budget, and ultimately, we couldn't do it. We were looking for different jetties, looking to build one, doing all sorts of things. Tom was trying to crack it and saying, 'If we don't get a jetty, how do we do it?' Tom described that solution of me trying to help him off the boat and accidentally pulling him into the water with his bag over his shoulder about six days before we started filming. With a film that doesn't have an unlimited budget, you have to cut your cloth slightly, but the ocean was a nightmare. We went in a couple of times." "I feel very philosophical about it. What we've ended up with does something different," Basden concludes. "You've got to have faith in the material in the first place. We believed in The Ballad of Wallis Island, but the execution is slightly out of your hands. You've still got to believe that the characters, the dialog, the story is going to work and it's going to come off the page."
