Ragesh Dipu
‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘ screenwriter Anthony McCarten will write the script and produce the upcoming feature adaptation of ‘Three Identical Strangers.’ The movie, which is produced by Raw, Film4 and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, is based on the breakthrough hit documentary of the same name. ‘Three Identical Strangers’ also marks McCarten’s foray into the non-fiction realm, reports Deadline.
Set in New York and Long Island, the documentary follows three real-life triplets Robert Shafran, David Kellman and Eddy Galland. They are three strangers like any other city dwellers until inadvertently find that they are identical triplets. Later, the three 19-year-olds also learn that they are separated at birth.
Their emotional reunion hits the headlines of international media and becomes a viral sensation on social media platforms. But the joy of reunion also sets a number of weird and unpleasant events in their lives. Born in 1961, the identical triplets are adopted by separate families when they are six-month-old infants.
The separation and adoption are part of a secretive study to explore the growth and development of genetically identical siblings raised by different families. Documentary filmmaker Tim Wardle painstakingly traces the life of the triplets and draws a fascinating picture using archival footage, re-enacted situations and face-to-face conversations in the documentary.
The film shows how the three brothers discover each other at the age of 19. Wardle chronicles their ordeal of dealing with the shocking revelations and the new developments. The brothers have to deal with the emotional turbulence and international fame at the same time.
The documentary earned Wardle a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for documentary storytelling. It also grossed over $12M in the U.S. alone. The film was nominated for the Best Documentary Award at the British Academy Film Awards. The path-breaking film was also included in the Academy Award’s shortlist of 15 films for the Best Documentary Feature Award.
On the other hand, McCarten’s last three movies earned the lead actors the Best Actor Oscars. The fascinating connection stated with Eddie Redmayne’s Best Actor win for the 2014 drama ‘The Theory of Everything.’ Redmayne’s feat was repeated by Gary Oldman with a stunning portrayal of Winston Churchill in ‘‘Darkest Hour.’ ‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘ added actor Rami Malek to McCarten’s ‘Best Actor Academy Awardees’ list. According to Variety, the New Zealand-born writer’s upcoming movie is ‘The Pope’ starring Jonathan Pryce in the titular role of Pope Francis with Anthony Hopkins playing Pope Benedict.
The feature adaptation of ‘Three Identical Strangers’ is produced by Raw’s Katherine Butler and Dimitri Doganis and SKE’s Sidney Kimmel and John Penotti and McCarten. Film4’s Daniel Battsek and Ollie Madden, Submarine’s Josh Braun and Dan Braun, and Tim Wardle are the executive producers.
Cover Image Courtesy: Sundance Film Festival
