Movie News: Sony Classics Takes Nigel Cole’s “Made In Dagenham” starring Rosamund Pike

According to IndieWire, Sony Pictures Classics has announced that they have pre-emptively purchased US and multiple foreign rights to “Calendar Girls” director Nigel Cole’s “Made In Dagenham.”  Featuring an impressive cast  (see a production still of them to your left. Source: Number 9 Films) in Sally Hawkins, Rosamund Pike, Miranda Richardson and Bob Hoskins, the film - inspired by a true story - was written by William Ivory and produced by Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen through their Number 9 Films label.

The film is a dramatization inspired by the true story of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant, where female workers walked out in support of equal pay. The actions of these women - “the Erin Brockoviches of 1960s Essex” - had an impact not only around the UK but the world, leaving a lasting legacy that had a permanent impact on women’s role in society.

“With the subject of women’s rights front and center, ‘Made in Dagenham’ is one of those unknown true stories of triumph audiences love to embrace, brilliantly directed by Nigel Cole, perfectly acted by Sally Hawkins, Miranda Richardson, Rosamund Pike, Geraldine James and Bob Hoskins,” Sony Classics said in a statement.  “We are honored and delighted to be working once again with our old friends Liz, Stephen, HanWay and BBC Films.”

Director Nigel Cole added in a statement: “It’s fantastic that Sony Classics will be taking the story of these wonderfully empowering women to US audiences; as they showed with ‘An Education’ they will be great partners for our film.”

HanWay Films represents Worldwide sales - it’s CEO Tim Haslam, and the film’s producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley negotiated the sale to Sony Pictures Classics. The film was originally developed with funding from the UK Film Council, and its production has been backed by BBC Films, BMS Finance, Lip Sync Productions and the UK Film Council.