Five’s a Crowd; Mulligan, Schoenaerts, Sheen, Sturridge & Temple Join Vinterberg’s Far From the Madding Crowd

Sometimes in the film buz you get a second chance to make a great second impression. It took one critically-lauded, unexpected (it was the surprise inclusion at the Cannes film festival in 2012) hit in the award-winning (Best Actor for Mads Mikkelsen) The Hunt to put Thomas Vinterberg on the right side of the tracks again. 98’s The Celebration was all the talk and his follow up critically bashed projects such as It’s All About Love and Dear Wendy took the helmer out of circulation. Now Fox Searchlight Pictures announced that Vinterberg has begun shooting on the U.K shot Far From the Madding Crowd which sees Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen, Tom Sturridge and one of the busiest actresses in Juno Temple make up the crowd. The film will shoot on location in Dorset, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. DNA Films’ Allon Reich and Andrew Macdonald are producing. Look for this to make a major splash at a tentpole festival – most likely next fall.

Gist: Written by David Nicholls and based on the literary classic by Thomas Hardy, this is the story of independent, beautiful and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan), who attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a sheep farmer, captivated by her fetching willfulness; Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge), a handsome and reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), a prosperous and mature bachelor. This timeless story of Bathsheba’s choices and passions explores the nature of relationships and love – as well as the human ability to overcome hardships through resilience and perseverance.

Worth Noting: The ’67 version directed by John Schlesinger included a stellar cast in Julie Christie, Peter Finch, Alan Bates and Terence Stamp. Will be a blast to revisit and make the comparison between the two.

Do We Care?: Vinterberg is well-versed in dramatic, ensemble terrain but we’re curious to see his treatment for four person romance. Stellar costume designer Janet Patterson is among the tech crew.