Press release from Paramount Pictures
THE KING’S SPEECH has received early critical acclaim following its world premiere screening at the Telluride Film Festival earlier this week and ahead of its highly anticipated screening at the Toronto Film Festival this weekend.
The Hollywood Reporter is already calling THE KING’S SPEECH a ‘riveting, intimate account at how a British king triumphed over a speech impediment with the help of an unorthodox speech coach’, whilst a Variety review reports it to be ‘A stirring, handsomely mounted tale of unlikely friendship’.
THE KING’S SPEECH stars three time BAFTA nominee Colin Firth as Prince Albert, and Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush as Australian born speech therapist Lionel Logue, alongside a multi-award- winning cast including fellow Australian Guy Pearce, Helena Bonham Carter, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Gambon and Timothy Spall.
The Australian connection to THE KING’S SPEECH does not stop with the casting of Geoffrey Rush and Guy Pearce. The film has been produced by Australian / UK based company See-Saw Films and developed with local distributor Transmission Films.
Producer Emile Sherman, said ‘After the brilliant reaction at Telluride, it's exciting to be presenting the film to Toronto audiences on Friday night. The film is a real collaboration between the UK and Australia. It's about an Australian who plays a truly key, but generally unknown, role on the world stage. As a production company which spans both Australia and the UK, See-Saw Films is thrilled that this story is exciting audiences.‘
Mike Selwyn, Managing Director, Paramount Pictures Australia & New Zealand, who will release the film in Australia on Boxing Day, said “We are delighted that our close collaboration with Transmission and See-Saw will enable us to work together on this very exciting project. The film seems to be striking a real chord with everyone who sees it and there is already serious suggestions that the film will be a very strong awards contender”.
THE KING’S SPEECH is based on the true story of the relationship between England’s reluctant King George VI, plagued by a nervous stammer, and the irreverent Australian speech therapist who cures him. It is directed by Tom Hooper the Emmy Award winning director of John Adams and the critically acclaimed feature film The Damned United.
THE KING’S SPEECH has just been announced to screen at the London Film Festival on October 21st.
THE KING’S SPEECH will release in Australia on December 26th.