For a band who only ever released two albums, one of which was rubbish, The Stone Roses continue to maintain a prominent place in pop culture, in the U.K. at least. And the Manchester favorites, behind tracks like "I Am The Resurrection" and "She Bangs The Drum" are cementing their place in 2012 with a long-awaited reunion, playing three sold-out hometown gigs this June (which will be filmed by Shane Meadows) ahead of festival apperances later in the year.
Which is fortuitous for the makers of "Spike Island." The comedy-drama, which follows a group of 16-year-old bandmates traveling to the Roses' seminal May 1990 gig, has been in the works for a few years, firstly with "Misfits" director Tom Green at the helm, and more recently with "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll"'s Mat Whitecross. But with filming starting any day now, the band's reunion couldn't have come at a better time, and the movie's principle cast has just been unveiled.
Elliot Tittensor, who plays Carl Gallagher on the original British version of "Shameless" (which helped to launch James McAvoy's career), was already announced as having the lead role, and now Screen Daily say that he's been joined by a host of other actors, most notably Mike Leigh favorite Lesley Manville, who won particular acclaim for her performance in last year's "Another Year," and Emilia Clarke, who came to fame as frequently-naked pawn-turned-conqueror Daenerys Targareyn in HBO's "Game of Thrones." Manville just worked with Whitecross on Jim Sturgess vehicle "Ashes," and will also appear in the new version of "Romeo & Juliet," while Clarke is making her film debut with Karl Urban and Ben Barnes in actioner "Overdrive."
They join Tittensor, Nico Marallegro ("Upstairs Downstairs"), Jordon Murphy, Adam Long and Oliver Heald in the project, which starts filming on March 5th, and is currently being sold internationally by Bankside Films at the European Film Market. The company are also repping Annette Bening-starrer "The Great," which we reported on this morning, "The Door," with Helen Mirren, and "Belle," the latest from acclaimed filmmaker Amma Assante ("A Way Of Life"), which tells the story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the mixed-race daughter of an 18th century aristocrat. All of these films roll in front of cameras this year, so keep your eyes peeled in 2013.
