Harsh Vardhan
The filming of Brian Cox’s feature directorial debut ‘Glenrothan’ will start in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 12 and conclude on September 17. Set in a distillery town in the Scottish Highlands, the film revolves around two estranged brothers who reunite in the land of their birth. The last time they spoke was on the day of their mother’s funeral when, following a violent exchange with their father, the younger of the two left their Highland home for the United States. Forty years later, they are back in the village that houses the family business — the Glenrothan Distillery. The film draws probable inspiration from Scotland’s Glenrothes distillery, established in 1879 and renowned for its exceptional single malt Scotch whiskey.
Cox, acclaimed for his performance as Logan Roy in HBO’s family drama series ‘Succession,’ is not only taking on the directorial duty but also will play one of the protagonists. Described as a “love letter to Scotland,” the project marks Cox’s return to the director’s chair after helming an episode of the HBO series ‘Oz’ in 2000. The actor’s other credits include ‘Separation’ (2021), ‘Prisoner’s Daughter’ (2022), ‘The Independent’ (2022), and ‘Mending The Line’ (2022). He also lent his voice to Anubis in ‘Aqua Teen Hunger Force,’ Kostas Becker in ‘The Simpsons,’ and Death in ‘Good Omens.’
In an interview with Variety, Cox opened up about his character in the film. “I do [the boring brother] rather well, actually. There is the one who stayed behind, who ended up holding the baby, so to speak, and the one who left. But he was the natural distiller. He had the gift. My character is not well so he asks his brother to go back, but he ignores him. Then his daughter sort of kidnaps him and brings him back to Scotland. And the adventure begins,” he said.
Cox will star alongside Alan Cumming, who is set to play the other brother. “My character has gone away to find a new life in America and the other brother has stayed in Scotland to run the family business. They have a troubled relationship and there is family strife. Brian [is] directing and playing the somewhat older brother. I’ll be growing a beard, which I always do when I feel that I have to look older,” the actor told The Scotsman.
A four-time Primetime Emmy nominee, Cumming is known for portraying Joe Therrian in ‘The Anniversary Party,’ Boris Grishenko in ‘GoldenEye,’ Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in ‘X2: X-Men United,’ and Dr. Dylan Reinhart in ‘Instinct.’
The rest of the cast also includes Jodie Turner-Smith and Bill Paterson. The former’s recent credits include Mother Aniseya in the ‘Star Wars’ series ‘The Acolyte,’ God in Netflix’s coming-of-age series ‘Sex Education,’ and Countess Sekou in ‘Murder Mystery 2.’ On the other hand, Paterson’s most prominent recent roles include Lord Lyman Beesbury in HBO’s historical drama ‘House of the Dragon’ and Dr. John Hathaway in Netflix’s fantasy series ‘The Sandman.’
The project was conceived by acclaimed Scottish actor and writer David Ashton (‘McLevy’) and co-written with award-winning screenwriter Jeff Murphy (‘Hinterland’). Lionsgate U.K. Head of Development and Acquisitions Emma Berkofsky is involved in the development of the film with Nevision’s Neil Zeiger, who serves as a producer of the project. James Cabourne from Nevision is an executive producer.
Glasgow, the principal location of the movie, previously hosted the shooting of Emma Stone-starrer ‘Poor Things,’ Harrison Ford’s ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,’ and Apple TV+’s historical drama ‘The Buccaneers.’
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