The lost king depicts the reunion between director Stephen Frears and writers Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope after their award-winning film Philomena. Following an amateur historian who embarks on the mission without academic backing to find the remains of King Richard III, it’s yet another fruitful collaboration, resulting in a film that’s both funny and compassionate. When asked why he was drawn to work with the Coogan/Pope duo again, Frears had nothing but compliments.
“They write in a very fresh way, not in a way that’s familiar or that a lot of other writers would do, which I really like.” –Stephen Frears
Coogan is best known for his comedic work, being a world famous comedian for his role as Alan Partridge, as well as playing other iconic characters. However, turns in movies like Philomena and 24 hour party people showed that he has dramatic chops that are just as strong as his comedic chops. As a writer, he tends to mix these two sides.
“Whenever Jeff and I write a screenplay, we try to use comedy to spice up the story with a little relief and make it enjoyable. humor, you engage people pretty quickly and then you can get into the thick of it, so it’s a natural thing with humor. Humor is a tool in your toolbox that’s very useful, and we let’s use it pretty well.–Steve Coogan
Also Read: The Lost King TIFF Review: Another Charming Film From The Team Behind Philomena
In The lost king, Langley has visions of Richard III as she sets off to discover the resting place of his remains. As Frears says, “It’s also a ghost story.” It’s a unique device that draws the audience into this story in a unique way. Co-writer Jeff Pope explains the film’s unique relationship to the image of Richard III.
“My perception of Richard III was based on Shakespeare’s play. What I discovered early on, to my surprise, was that he wrote it over 100 years after the death of Richard III. So he’s regurgitating history, and he’s regurgitating Tudor history, not Plantagenet history. So we had to approach the matter from a skeptical perspective and ask ourselves, “Was Richard really as evil as history would have us believe?” Phillipa told us something as we worked with her and crafted the story about how she would have imaginary conversations with Richard. So that sparked the idea of Richard being someone she talks to, who appears as an apparition. It’s obviously a figment of his imagination – it wasn’t really him – but it was a way to unlock his thought process, and also to personify Richard so that he wasn’t that hunchbacked evil murderer that the history tries to tell us that it is. –Jeff Pope
After a successful premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, The lost king hits theaters in the UK in October and hits theaters in the US next spring. Audiences will want to see what Pope and Coogan call “the world’s ultimate ode to divorced mothers,” because of the wonderful collaboration of these extremely talented people.
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