Though Eddie Izzard is best known for his stand up, Labour activist, multi marathon running and cross dressing (not at the same time), he’s also appeared in a load of big budget films over the last twenty years including 1998’s box office bombshell The Avengers, Ocean’s 12 & 13, Victoria & Abdul and Tom Cruise starrer, Valkyrie. But today finds him in CARMATHENSHIRE, filming pet project SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, with Academy Award® winner Dame Judi Dench. Filming will take place over 6 weeks in various locations across Wales.
Directed by Andy Goddard (Downton Abbey, Set Fire to the Stars)) and written by Celyn Jones (Keepers, Set Fire to the Stars), Izzard and Goddard, SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT also stars Academy Award® winner Jim Broadbent (Paddington), Carla Juri (Blade Runner 2049, Someone Like Me), and James D’Arcy (Dunkirk).
Based on true events – Summer, 1939 and Thomas Miller (Eddie Izzard) has taken a last minute and controversial role teaching English to the daughters of high-ranking Nazis at the Augusta-Victoria College, Bexhill-on-Sea – a finishing school on the south coast of England. Despite the storm clouds forming across Europe, the girls continue to learn deportment, Shakespeare, fitness and how to be a faithful member of Hitler’s League of German Girls.
Under the watchful eye of their headmistress Miss Rocholl (Judi Dench), and her devout assistant Ilse Keller (Carla Juri), the girls practice their English and learn how to represent the ideal of German womanhood. With a new world war imminent and a fog of resentment surrounding their presence, youth’s summer is running out for the girls…for everyone.
When the body of a former teacher is discovered, it triggers a sequence of deadly events where the girls and Miss Rocholl discover a world where loyalty is more important than truth. It also leaves Thomas running from the police with the threat of being hanged for murder.It is Six Minutes to Midnight and can Thomas exonerate himself in time and save the hearts and minds of his students from the grip of Hitler?
Eddie Izzard, Celyn Jones and Trevor Beattie will serve as Executive Producers.
Eddie Izzard commented: “It is a much-overused word in the movie business, but for me, starting filming on Six Minutes to Midnight, a film I have wanted to make for ten years, is definitely very exciting. And to start our shoot only 30 minutes from where I used to go to school at Oakley House in Swansea – is a wonderful added bonus.”
It’s another boost to filming in Wales which saw the recent Las Vegas themes film ‘Show Dogs‘ shot just outside Cardiff and is a kids film with animals and not about our Deputy Editor’s ex-wife and sister-in-law.
, he's also appeared in a load of big budget films over the last twenty years including 1998's box office bombshell The Avengers......){kind=link}