Published: 08 Sep 2017
The Wife, starring Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce and Christian Slater will receive its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, on 14 September 2017.
Supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland’s Screen Funding and filmed in Scotland, The Wife is directed by Björn Runge and is an adaptation of the New York Times best-selling novel of the same name, written by Meg Wolitzer.
Joan Castleman (Glenn Close): a highly intelligent and still-striking beauty - the perfect devoted wife. Forty years spent sacrificing her own talent, dreams and ambitions to fan the flames of her charismatic husband Joe (Jonathan Pryce) and his skyrocketing literary career. Ignoring his infidelities and excuses because of his "art" with grace and humour. Their fateful pact has built a marriage upon uneven compromises. And Joan’s reached her breaking point. The Wife is a poignant, funny and emotional journey; a celebration of womanhood, self-discovery and liberation.
We are very proud to have supported this excellent creative team to realise the film in Scotland last year- Natalie Usher, Creative Scotland
The film, which also stars Max Irons, Harry Lloyd and Annie Starke, was produced by Silver Reel, Meta Film London, Anonymous Content, Tempo Productions andSpark Film & TV. The international sales for the film will be handled by Embankment Films, with CAA and WME partnering to represent the US distribution rights.
Piers Tempest, Producer at Tempo Productions said: “Scotland’s unique locations and excellent crew base meant that it was an obvious choice for us when choosing where to base The Wife. Scotland’s adaptability as a film location really shines through in the film and we are grateful to have had Screen Funding support from Creative Scotland.”
Natalie Usher, Director, Screen at Creative Scotland, said: “It is fantastic that The Wife will receive its world premiere in Toronto. We are very proud to have supported this excellent creative team to realise the film in Scotland last year and we are excited to see a well-loved novel brought to life by such a stellar cast and talented crew.”
The Wife shot on location in Scotland including on board Concorde at the National Museum of Flight in East Fortune, East Lothian, Hutchesons’ Hall, Glasgow and in Dumfries and Galloway.
The production also hosted trainees from Screen Academy Scotland’s Screen NETS programme. The programme supported by Creative Scotland’s Screen Skills Fund provides on the job training in the screen sector.
The Wife will go on to have its European Premiere as the closing night gala screening at San Sebastian Film Festival on the 30 September before a special screening at Zurich Film Festival, 28 September - 8 October, where Glenn Close will receive the Golden Icon Award.
Creative Scotland funding for The Wife: £200,000 Screen Funding.
2016 Production Spend Figures in Scotland have increased by more than 30% on last year to a record high of £69million. Film and TV productions that shot in Scotland last year include The Wife, Calibre, T2: Trainspotting, Outlander, The Etruscan Smile, In Plain Sight and The Loch.
Today’s figures also reflect the success of the Production Growth Fund, which uses funds from the Scottish Government and National Lottery to incentivise production in Scotland. The fund has so far generated £17.5m for the economy, a return of £10 for every £1 awarded.
New film funding: In this week’s Programme for Government the Scottish Government announced an additional £10 million for the screen sector, bringing investment to £20 million next year.
Find out about Creative Scotland's Screen Funding.
At Toronto Film Festival, Creative Scotland’s Screen Commission are available to provide information about opportunities to film in Scotland. They are based at the UK Film Delegate Centre, 9th Floor, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Toronto. More information at weareukfilm.com.
The full programme for Toronto International Film Festival (7-17 September 2017) can be found on the festival's website.
Media Contact: Eilidh Walker, Media Relations & PR Assistant, Creative Scotland, E: eilidh.walker@creativescotland.com, T: +44 (0) 131 523 0019, Switch Board: +44 (0) 330 333 2000.
