It’s been a while since there was a decent British rom-com. Richard Curtis’ output has gotten more and more unbearable over time, and you have to go back to 2006’s underrated “Starter For 10” to find anything even vaguely decent. Fingers crossed, however, there’s one on the horizon that could be promising.
The Cannes marketplace yesterday saw Hanway Films announce “The Decoy Bride,” a co-production with Ecosse Films, Cinema NX and Scottish Screen. The project’s being directed by TV veteran Sheree Folkson (“Ugly Betty,” “Casanova”) and is written by Neil Jaworski and Sally Phillips (the latter of whom is also an actress and comedienne, playing one of Renee Zellwegger’s friends in the “Bridget Jones’ Diary” series).
The plot involves an international movie star who wants to marry her boyfriend on a remote Scottish island. To avoid the attentions of the paparazzi, she recruits a local girl to serve as the titular decoy, but, unsurprisingly, sparks fly between the groom and the fake bride. Alice Eve will play the star, ex-Doctor Who David Tennant will play the husband-to-be, and Kelly Macdonald will be Katie, the fake bride.
It’s a very strong cast; Eve’s a winning presence, Macdonald is reliably great, and we’re pretty much convinced that Tennant is set to become a big movie star in the next few years, even if he’s had a setback after dropping out of “Burke and Hare”. It’s a fairly generic set-up, however, so we’ll have to hope that the execution is what’s attracted the talent. Filming begins next month in Scotland and on the Isle of Man, and we imagine it’ll see a release sometime next year.
