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Academy Award-winner Rachel Weisz (The Favourite, The Constant Gardener) is set to star in See-Saw Films’ A Special Relationship, the feature film exploring Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor’s journey from actress to activist through the lens of her friendship with her assistant Roger Wall. Based on the screenplay written by Academy Award-winner Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours), the upcoming production will be helmed by fast emerging female director duo Bert&Bertie (Troop Zero).

The feature is produced by See-Saw Films’ Iain Canning and Emile Sherman (The King’s Speech, Lion). Simon Gillis, See-Saw’s COO of Film and Danny Perkins are executive producing along with Barbara Berkowitz and Tim Mendelson, Trustees of the Elizabeth Taylor Estate/House of Taylor Trust.

Elizabeth Taylor’s multiple marriages, love for jewelry and iconic roles has made her one of the brightest stars in the Hollywood firmament. While she’s always been known for her glamourous and scandalous life, what has been less explored until now is her crusading role in the fight against AIDS and how much it personally meant to her. In the mid-1980s, Elizabeth hired a new personal assistant, Roger Wall, a gay man who grew up in poverty in the homophobic Deep South. Despite their different backgrounds, they developed a deep friendship that would alter the course of both of their lives.

Beaufoy’s script, drawn from hours of interviews and exclusive conversations with the people who knew the real Elizabeth Taylor, creates a never-before-seen portrait of the real woman behind the violet eyes. While the rest of the world averted its gaze from one of the worst epidemics the world has ever known, Elizabeth gambled her reputation and career to speak out in the face of a deadly silence emanating from the Reagan administration. She went toe to toe with the leader of the free world, and in doing so created a public call to arms against ignorance, bigotry and homophobia which resonates to this day.

See-Saw Films’ Canning and Sherman declared, “Audiences are clearly fascinated by the private lives of iconic Hollywood stars. There is no-one more iconic than Elizabeth Taylor and Simon Beaufoy has written a role that shines a light on Elizabeth’s humour and humanity which will be beautifully brought to life through the extraordinary talents of Rachel Weisz. At its heart, A Special Relationship is story of friendship and what better way of guaranteeing that translates to the screen than trusting the directing talents of real-life best friends and creative collaborators Bert&Bertie. Troop Zero, dazzled audiences at Sundance and like that film, A Special Relationship is a celebration of how friendships can change people’s lives, and how Elizabeth helped change the world. 

See-Saw’s in-house sales arm Cross City Films will launch sales on A Special Relationship at the American Film Market 2019.

ABOUT SIMON BEAUFOY

Simon Beaufoy is the critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning screenwriter of Slumdog Millionaire (2008), starring Dev Patel which earned him his first Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA. He followed Slumdog Millionaire with the critically acclaimed 127 Hours, starring James Franco, which earned him additional Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations. His first Academy Award nomination was in 1998, for his screenplay The Full Monty. In 2011, he wrote the screenplay for the Golden-Globe nominated film Salmon Fishing in the Yemen starring Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. Beaufoy also wrote the screenplay for box office hit The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), Everest (2015), as well as Battle of the Sexes (2017) which was nominated for two Golden Globes.

ABOUT RACHEL WEISZ

Academy Award-winning actress Rachel Weisz is heralded for portraying women of incredible spirit and intelligence. She received her second Academy Award, SAG and Golden Globe nominations as well as a BAFTA win for her performance as Lady Sarah in Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite, in which she starred opposite Academy Award winning Olivia Colman and Emma Stone.  This was her second time working with Lanthimos who directed her previously in the critically-acclaimed The Lobster, opposite Colin Farrell.  Her previous work includes Disobedience, directed by Sebastian Lielo, which she produced and starred in alongside Rachel McAdams;  My Cousin Rachel, Denial, Complete Unknown, The Light Between  Oceans, Youth, The Deep Blue Sea, and The Constant Gardener, for which she won a SAG, Golden Globe and Academy Award for her performance opposite Ralph Fiennes.   She will next be seen in Marvel’s Black Widow opposite Scarlett Johannson and Florence Pugh.  The film, directed by Cate Shortland, opens May 1, 2020.

ABOUT BERT&BERTIE

Bert&Bertie are a female writing-directing duo with their own unique style of storytelling and magical realism.

They have been named by Variety as ‘Directors to Watch’ in 2019.

Their latest movie, Troop Zero, stars Viola Davis, Allison Janney and Jim Gaffigan and played as Closing Night Film at Sundance Film Festival to great critical and audience success. It will be released early in 2020. 

Their wealth of creative experience and passion for all the arts ensures they remain playful while narrative guides every decision.  Blurring lines between reality and fantasy, theirs is a world of beautifully dark invention; crackling with comedy and driven by emotional performances.

Bert is South African born. After moving to London she won a short film BAFTA for Antonio’s Breakfast in 2006. Bertie hails from the UK where she wrote screenplays for Sony PlayStation. Her debut game, The Getaway, was nominated for a BAFTA.

Bert&Bertie met in 2005. An instant, creative kinship was born. Soon after they joined forces to write and direct their first short film ‘Phobias’. It defined their strong, collective vision that won them numerous film festival awards. Their narrative work has continued to garner recognition in both dramatic and comedic genres. Their commercial work for such brands as Sony, Microsoft and the BBC spans every medium from live-action to animation.  In 2015, they moved to Los Angeles and directed their debut feature film Dance Camp. Shortly after they were selected to join the Fox Studios’ Directors Initiative and Ryan Murphy’s HALF program.

Their adopted axiom is ‘Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History’, a quote by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.

ABOUT HOUSE OF TAYLOR/ELIZABETH TAYLOR ESTATE

House of Taylor preserves and sustains Elizabeth Taylor’s legacy through content, partnerships and products that support her vision for a kinder, braver more beautiful world. The three Trustees of the Elizabeth Taylor estate, selected by Elizabeth, lead House of Taylor. They spent many years by Elizabeth’s side, as she lived her values every day. Her compassion, courage and conviction, as well as her unwavering confidence and love of celebration, continue to inspire House of Taylor today as the overseers of her name and likeness in culture, The Elizabeth Taylor Archive and The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. For more information, go to www.elizabethtaylor.com. Connect even more at www.facebook.com/ElizabethTaylor, www.twitter.com/ElizabethTaylor or www.instagram.com/ElizabethTaylor.

ABOUT SEE-SAW FILMS

Academy Award® and Emmy winning producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman founded See-Saw Films in 2008. With offices in London and Sydney, See-Saw specializes in international film and television production.

See-Saw’s television division is run by Emmy winning executive producers Hakan Kousetta and Jamie Laurenson.

In 2018 company signed a three-year first look development, financing and production deal for film with New Regency.

The deal follows the success of six-time Academy Award® nominated Lion, starring Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara as well as The King’s Speech which swept up four Academy Awards® in 2011 including Best Motion Picture, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Colin Firth and a Best Director nod for Tom Hooper. See-Saw’s latest film projects include Widows directed by Steve McQueen and starring Viola Davis. See-Saw is currently in post-production on Ammonite, written and directed by Francis Lee and starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan. Upcoming projects include Jane Campion’s The Power Of The Dog, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst; and Operation Mincemeat, to be directed by John Madden, starring Colin Firth.

See-Saw’s television division formally started in 2012 and kicked off with the multi-award winning first season of Jane Campion’s ‘Top of the Lake’. Campion returned with ‘Top of The Lake: China Girl’ starring Elisabeth Moss, Nicole Kidman and Gwendoline Christie which premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for a Golden Globe.

‘State of the Union’, written by Nick Hornby, directed by Stephen Frears and starring Rosamund Pike and Chris O’Dowd had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2019 and won three Emmys. See-Saw is currently in production on ‘The North Water’, written and directed by Andrew Haigh (45 Years), adapted from the novel by Ian McGuire, starring Colin Farrell and Jack O’Connell.

www.see-saw-films.com

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