Altitude have announced Mad About The Boy – The Noël Coward Story, a feature documentary chronicling the life and career of the famed playwright, director, and flamboyant wit from writer and director, Barnaby Thompson (Pixie, St Trinians).
“One of the most important figures of the 20th Century, Noël Coward was one of the greatest playwrights, songwriters, directors, and performers of his time,” writes Altitude. “His was the sharp wit behind some of the most revered films, stage plays and musicals including Brief Encounter, Blithe Spirit and Private Lives. Mad About The Boy – The Noël Coward Story explores the life and prodigious career of this versatile and stylish artist who defied convention to invent the modern Englishman. An extraordinary man who led an extraordinary life.
The new feature doc will be released in 2023, the 50th anniversary of Coward’s death.
International superstar recording artist Adam Lambert will sing the film’s theme song, an updated cover of Coward’s ‘Mad About The Boy’, which will be released on 7 October. The song was produced by Amanda Ghost and Johnny Coffer.
Mad About The Boy – The Noël Coward Story is produced by Thompson for Fragile Films and Gregor Cameron for Unigram and supported by BBC Film and BBC Arts, Warner Music Entertainment and AI Film. Executive Producers are Will Clarke, Andy Mayson, Mike Runagall. Mark Bell, Rose Garnett, Kate Shepherd, Charles Cohen, Nikki Sopp, Sir Len Blavatnik, Amanda Ghost, Vince Holden, Stanley Buchthal and Bob Benton.
Altitude is handling international sales and UK and Irish distribution.
Barnaby Thompson comments: “Noël Coward was a fascinating character. He invented the modern Englishman – witty, sophisticated and stylish – but was born poor and left school when he was 9. He was a sex symbol who was queer in a very straight world and he was exiled from the country he came to define.”
Producer Gregor Cameron from Unigram adds: “Unigram is thrilled to help Barnaby Thompson unravel the enigma of Noel Coward and bring to the screen the first ever feature documentary about one of the most talented, accomplished and multi-faceted artists of the 20th Century. An award-winning actor, writer, and director, Noel Coward was also a songwriter who wrote many of the most iconic and evergreen recordings of the 20th century and it’s a joy to incorporate Warner Music’s catalogue of Coward’s music into the film and hear Adam Lambert bring his version of ‘Mad About The Boy’ in to the 21st Century.”
