Production has officially commenced in the UK on the highly anticipated period feature Black Palace, directed by BAFTA-winning filmmaker Nick Hamm. Adding to the project’s momentum, New Regency has come on board to spearhead worldwide sales, positioning the film as a major contender on the international market.
Written by Jon Croker, acclaimed for his work on No One Gets Out Alive and the Oscar-winning animated short The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Black Palace is described as a twisted romantic drama and a tense female survival story. The narrative is set during the ominous autumn of 1888, a time when London is gripped by tabloid-fueled panic over the notorious Jack the Ripper murders.
Against this unsettling backdrop, a young woman is hired to work inside Buckingham Palace with a covert assignment: to spy on Queen Victoria’s wayward grandson, who has a habit of vanishing into the night. As she navigates a labyrinth of royal privilege and crushing poverty, she gets dangerously close to the Prince and uncovers dark secrets that threaten the safety of the Crown and her own survival.
The historical thriller features a stellar ensemble cast led by Freya Allan (The Witcher, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) and Academy Award nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog). Joining them on set are Joe Anders, Raffey Cassidy, Iain Glen (Game of Thrones), Martin Clunes, and Juliet Stevenson. With its gripping premise, masterclass creative team, and powerhouse cast, Black Palace is rapidly shaping up to be one of the most compelling and atmospheric psychological dramas on the upcoming cinematic calendar.
Black Palace is produced by Marie-Christine Jaeger-Firmenich (WILLIAM TELL), BAFTA Nominee Piers Tempest (I SWEAR), Academy Award © nominee Mark Huffam (THE MARTIAN) and Nick Hamm. Hannah Shipley and Will Matthews co-produce, executive producers are Jeremy Bolt and Jon Croker.
Black Palace boasts a stellar line-up of department heads, including BIFA winning cinematographer Jamie Ramsay (ALL OF US ARE STRANGERS), Emmy and BAFTA nominated costume designer Joanna Eatwell (VENOM), Academy Award © nominated hair and make-up designer Karen Hartley (GOLDA) Academy Award © nominated production designer Peter Francis (THE FATHER) and Emmy winning editor Yan Miles (THE CROWN). Academy Award © winner Steven Price (GRAVITY) is the composer and DNEG are on board for Visual effects.
Director Nick Hamm comments: “Independent cinema is thriving in Europe, we’re finding original stories that are connecting with our audience. I haven’t had the privilege of shooting in the UK for many years and the experience has been fantastic: a committed cast and crew and a great screenplay by Jon Croker, which is audacious and disturbing. What more could a director want? ”
New Regency’s Black Palace is financed by SIMIA Productions SA as the first of a multi picture deal with Hamm 4 and Tempo. SIMIA Principal Marie-Christine Jaeger-Firmenich says: “The film is about the nature of power and what you choose to do with it – which is especially relevant today. We are very happy to be working with the team on this film and I am thrilled with how the shoot is going”.
Samantha Cameron-Mowat, SVP, Co-Head of International Distribution at New Regency, commented: “We are delighted to be part of this compelling feature film. Nick, Piers, Marie-Christine, Mark and the team have assembled an exceptional cast, both in front of and behind the camera. We are confident that this thrilling story of love, deceit and murder, set against the contrasting backdrops of glamorous society and the stark realities of Victorian London, will resonate with audiences worldwide.”
Black Palace marks Tempest and Hamm’s sixth film together in their longstanding creative partnership.
