Mark Rylance to Star in Comedy About Worst Round of Pro Golf

Mark Rylance is taking a mulligan on his subsequent undertaking, signing on to play Maurice Flitcroft in a brand new movie referred to as “The Fantastic Flitcrofts” in regards to the man who certified for the British Open Golf Championship in 1976 and subsequently shot the worst spherical in Open historical past.

Craig Roberts (“Just Jim,” “Eternal Beauty”) will direct the heart-warming true story in regards to the dreamer and unrelenting optimist Flitcroft who grew to become a folks hero after his disastrous efficiency. Simon Farnaby (“Paddington 2”) is writing the screenplay for “The Fantastic Flitcrofts” based mostly on his guide “The Phantom Of the Open” Farnaby co-wrote with Scott Murray.

If you need to know simply how dangerous Flitcroft was, he didn’t have a handicap and as an alternative merely posed as knowledgeable. And when he managed to qualify, he shot a spherical of 121, or 49 over par. Other execs even demanded a refund of their entry charges for having to play alongside him, and he was finally banned from all the membership’s programs. Though in future years he would try to qualify once more underneath pseudonyms.

Cornerstone Films will finance along with Len Blavatnik’s movie funding arm AI Film (AI) and BBC Films. The movie was developed by BBC Films and the BFI with National Lottery funding. Cornerstone Films may even deal with worldwide gross sales and distribution and is presenting the movie on the upcoming Cannes digital market.

The movie is produced by Nichola Martin by way of Baby Cow Films and Tom Miller from Water & Power Productions along with Kate Glover. Christine Langan and James Swarbrick are government producers.

“I am particularly thrilled to be offered a comedy. I have had some of my best times in the theatre in comedies, “Boeing Boeing,” and “Twelfth Night” within the West End and on Broadway. This is the primary comedian movie I’ve ever been supplied. A comedy of character and state of affairs which I really like,” Rylance mentioned in a press release.

“Audiences love real-life underdog stories and we couldn’t be more excited to bring to the market Simon’s wonderful script with the superb Mark Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft. A heart-warming comedy is exactly what we think buyers will be looking for,” Cornerstone Films’ Mark Gooder and Alison Thompson mentioned in a press release.

“We are so excited to be bringing this very special project to life. Simon, Craig and Mark are an exquisite trio, and Maurice’s story – celebrating the power of the imagination and the bonds of family – is the perfect tale of hope for our times,” Martin mentioned in a press release.

“With Simon’s incredible script and Craig’s unique vision, not to mention the brilliance of Mark Rylance, we can’t wait to get the wonderful true-life story of Maurice up and swinging on the big screen,” Miller mentioned in a press release.

Rylance is an Oscar winner for “Bridge of Spies” and most lately starred in “Waiting for the Barbarians” with Johnny Depp. He’ll subsequent be seen in Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”

Rylance is represented by Joel Lubin at CAA And Jodi Peikoff at Peikoff Mahan. Roberts is represented by Kate Staddon at Curtis Brown and Farnaby by Humphrey Elles-Hill at Independent Talent.

Deadline first reported the information.