Romanek, Boyle to bookend London

by Naman Ramachandran

17/08/2010 - Mark Romanek’s Never Let Me Go, starring Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield will open the 54th BFI London Film Festival on October 13. The closing night gala on October 28 will be Danny Boyle’s 127 hours, starring James Franco.

127 Hours reunites Boyle with his Slumdog [trailer, film focus] writer Simon Beaufoy and producer Christian Colson. The film is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston’s attempts to save himself after a falling boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. It is a Pathé, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Film4 presentation in association with Warner Bros. The producers are Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson. Warner Bros. Pictures UK will release the film in January 2011.

Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s bestselling novel, Never Let Me Go was adapted for the screen by another Danny Boyle regular Alex Garland (The Beach). It is a Fox Searchlight Pictures, DNA Films and Film 4 presentation, produced by Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich.

Sandra Hebron, the Festival’s Artistic Director said, “Having closed the festival with Slumdog Millionaire in 2008, it is unprecedented for us to choose a Closing Night film from the same director only two years later. But 127 Hours was the obvious choice for us - with filmmaking as bold and adventurous as its subject matter, it confirms Danny Boyle as one of the world’s finest and most visionary directors, and will be a very fitting close to the festival.”

Boyle said, “I can’t wait to unveil the new film and I hope it provides a worthy climax to what will hopefully be two weeks of great movies for our city.”