Shubhabrata Dutta
Jeremy Irons will headline Charles Sturridge’s first feature in nearly a decade! The Cinemaholic has learned that the Academy Award winner will star in the upcoming biographical drama film ‘Will to Win,’ alternatively titled ‘Frankel.’ The project will enter production in the United Kingdom on an undisclosed date. Irons is rumored to star alongside Minnie Driver, but the actress’ casting has yet to be formally announced. Jim Piddock wrote the screenplay.
The plot centers on the relationship between the flat racing horse trainer Sir Henry Cecil and the thoroughbred racehorse Frankel. After four decades of training thousands of horses, Cecil was at his lowest ebb in 2005. He was diagnosed with cancer, the breakdown of his marriage was making rounds in gossip columns, he had lost his brother recently, and he had not been in touch with his son. It seemed he was about to give up and retire as his business and stables dwindled. That was when his friend and horse owner, Khalid Abdullah, introduced him to Frankel.
The movie will depict how Cecil, in his autumn years, fought failure and illness to make Frankel the greatest champion racehorse of all time, unbeaten in all 14 starts, winning all the honors, and bowing out with an emotional victory in front of a capacity crowd at Ascot, making history together. The connection between Henry and Frankel was almost spiritual. Frankel seemed to understand everything Henry was telling him to do, and Henry credited Frankel for pulling him through some of his darkest moments.
Jeremy Irons is lately known for portraying Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne/Batman’s butler, in the DC movies ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and ‘Justice League’ and Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias in HBO’s ‘Watchmen.’ In 2024, we saw him as Wallace Westwyld in the Jason Statham-led ‘The Beekeeper’ and Abbé Faria in the drama series ‘The Count of Monte Cristo.’ Irons recently joined the cast of the fourth season of Apple TV+’s ‘The Morning Show’ to play Martin Levy, the father of Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston).
Minnie Driver is renowned for her performance as Skylar in Gus Van Sant’s cult classic drama ‘Good Will Hunting.’ Recently, she starred alongside Irons in ‘The Beekeeper,’ playing CIA director Janet Harward. Her other notable acting credits include Shirley Waaka in the coming-of-age comedy ‘Uproar,’ Queen Beatrice in ‘Cinderella,’ and Queen Elizabeth I in the Starz historical drama series ‘The Serpent Queen.’
Charles Sturridge’s last feature film was the 2016 biopic ‘Churchill’s Secret,’ starring Michael Gambon as the titular British Prime Minister. His other notable include the dog movie ‘Lassie’ and the thriller drama ‘The Scapegoat.’ In the last decade, he has helmed episodes of several famed TV shows, including PBS/ITV’s ‘Sanditon,’ Netflix/ITV’s ‘Marcella,’ and HBO/BBC’s ‘C.B. Strike.’
Some of the most high-profile projects shot in the United Kingdom include Marvel’s ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon.’
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