Eleventh Hour Films, MASTERPIECE and BritBox UK announced that BAFTA- nominated actor Timothy Spall OBE (Mr. Turner, Summer of Rockets) has been cast alongside Lesley Manville CBE (Phantom Thread, Let Him Go, Mum) in the upcoming adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’s acclaimed and best-selling crime novel Magpie Murders which begins production in March, 2021.
In Magpie Murders, a beguiling murder mystery with a solution that will both astonish and grip viewers, Spall will star as the clever and complex detective Atticus Pünd in the fictional novels by best- selling mystery writer Alan Conway. The plot of Magpie Murders revolves around the character Susan Ryeland (Manville), an editor who is given an unfinished Conway manuscript and has little idea it will change her life.
Timothy Spall OBE is one of Britain’s best-loved and most talented character actors with a critically-acclaimed career covering both stage and screen. In 2014, he received wide acclaim for his role as J.M.W. Turner in Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner (2014), for which he won seven international awards, including the Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Award. Timothy trained at the National Youth Theatre and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and began his acting career in the theater, with seasons at Birmingham Rep and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).
Helmed by director Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty, Military Wives, The A Word), Magpie Murders will shoot in Suffolk and Ireland, and will launch on BritBox UK and MASTERPIECE on PBS in 2022.
Timothy Spall OBE, says “I am delighted to be part of this adaptation of Magpie Murders, and to be working once again with the immensely talented Lesley Manville , Peter Cattaneo, the fantastic cast and all the team at Eleventh Hour Films. I have huge respect for Anthony Horowitz and think the audience will really enjoy his brilliant adaptation of his wonderful and ingenious novel. I’m really looking forward to getting to grips with bringing the intriguing Atticus Pünd to life.”
Jill Green, Chief Executive, Eleventh Hour Films, says “Atticus Pünd is a complex, deep thinking 1950s detective who is at the top of his game – so who better than to have Timothy Spall?”
Susanne Simpson, Executive Producer, MASTERPIECE, says, “Our MASTERPIECE viewers know Timothy Spall from his incredible performances in many of our shows. I can’t wait to see this amazing actor take on the role of Atticus Pünd.”
Will Harrison, Managing Director, BritBox UK, commented, “Timothy Spall is a British acting icon and the perfect choice to play Atticus Pünd. We’re so pleased to see production get underway, and can’t wait to share Magpie Murders with our subscribers.”
Anthony Horowitz, author and screenwriter of Magpie Murders, says “I was overjoyed when I heard that Timothy Spall had accepted the part of Atticus Pünd. I’m a lifelong fan and there isn’t another actor in the world I would have chosen for this pivotal role.”
