Andrew Garfield To Star As Acclaimed Pianist In James Marsh Drama ‘Instrumental’, Lionsgate Launches — Cannes

EXCLUSIVE: Hacksaw Ridge star Andrew Garfield is teaming up with Oscar-winner James Marsh (The Theory Of Everything) for drama biopic Instrumental, which is due to get underway in the UK later this year.

Based on internationally acclaimed concert pianist James Rhodes’ bestselling memoir, the project is being produced by Debra Hayward (Les Misérables) and Alison Owen’s (Suffragette) Monumental Pictures. Garfield will star as Rhodes.

Lionsgate will launch world sales on the prestige package at the Cannes market next week. Lionsgate UK, a key early investor in Brit projects, has pre-emptively snapped up UK rights.

Rhodes’ memoir reveals how music saved his life after he suffered sexual abuse as a pupil at his all-boys junior school. The pianist prodigy suffered mentally as well as physically, including spinal damage, eating disorders and PTSD, while his abuser died before he could appear in court. Monumental previously beat out U.S. and UK companies for rights to the story.

The deal marks a continued relationship between Lionsgate UK and Monumental with the former also due to release Coky Giedroyc’s How To Build A Girl, starring Beanie Feldstein, from a screenplay by Caitlin Moran.

Zygi Kamasa, CEO of Lionsgate UK commented on the acquisition, “We are thrilled to be working with Debra and Alison again, adding another esteemed British project to our slate. Debra and Alison have a reputation for producing quality British features which equals our championing of British talent and dedication to producing and releasing British Films.”