Toby Jones is coming back to the big screen, and we finally have the first look at his new movie Mars Express, which saw him reunite with Detectorists co-star Mackenzie Crook.
To mark the end of filming, the first-look image was released of the movie, as well as one of Crook in action on set. The movie will be released in UK and Irish cinemas, though an exact date is yet to be announced.
Jones will play a real-life professor called Colin Pillinger. He’ll feature alongside Hamnet star Emily Watson, who portrays his wife Doctor Judith Pillinger.
Big Talk Studios/Altitude Production/Dean Rogers
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During the ’90s, the real-life couple set out to build the Beagle 2 probe to go to Mars in search of organic life.
Mars Express is a space exploration mission formed by the European Space Agency (ESA), which has explored potential life on Mars and its surrounding moons since 2003. It deployed the Beagle 2 spacecraft in December 2003 but after no communication was received after it was due to land on Mars, it was declared lost by February 2004.
Colin Pillinger was considered a scientific hero for what he’d built, and now Jones will play an integral part in bringing his story to life.
The Mars Express cast also features the likes of Nicholas Burns, Richard Coyle, Thaddea Graham, David Dencik, Julian Rhind-Tutt and Rob Delaney. The movie is written by The Vanishing’s Joe Bone and directed by Crook in his feature directorial debut.
“It’s a complete honour to be telling the extraordinary story of Colin Pillinger and Beagle 2 for my first feature film as director,” Crook said about his latest project.
Big Talk Studios/Altitude Production/Dean Rogers
“Joe Bone’s beautiful script has made it easy to attract some of the best names in the business to join our brilliantly creative team and I’m thrilled to be working once again with my friend Toby Jones.”
He added: “Thank you to all at BigTalk Studios, BBC Film, BFI, Sky, Screen Yorkshire, CML Entertainment Finance and Altitude for their trust and support in making this funny, poignant and inspiring film.”
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