The first look images of “William Tell,” the epic story of the crossbow-wielding warrior, have been released. The feature film is in its last week of principal photography in Italy. Beta Cinema is representing international sales rights with WME Independent handling North American rights.
Nick Hamm directs, based on his screenplay, adapted from Friedrich Schiller’s play. Hamm’s credits include “Driven,” which was selected as the closing film at the Venice Film Festival 2018 and released by Universal; “Gigi & Nate” (2022); the Netflix series “White Lines” (2020); and “The Journey,” which premiered at Venice and Toronto in 2016.
The film stars Claes Bang (“The Square,” “Bad Sisters,” “The Northman”), Connor Swindells (“Barbie,” “Sex Education”), Ellie Bamber (“Willow,” “The Serpent,” “Nocturnal Animals”), Golshifteh Farahani (“Paterson,” “Extraction,” “Invasion”), Jonah Hauer-King (“The Little Mermaid,” “The Tattooist of Auschwitz”), Rafe Spall (“Life of Pi,” “The Big Short”), Emily Beecham (“1899,” “Little Joe”), Academy-Award nominee Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes,” “The Wife”) and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley (“Gandhi,” “Schindler’s List”).
The story unfolds in the 14th century amid the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire, when Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy and the ambitious Austrians, desiring more land, encroach on Switzerland, a serene and pastoral nation.
Amidst this backdrop, William Tell, a formerly peaceful hunter, finds himself forced to take action as his family and homeland come under threat from the oppressive Austrian king and his ruthless warlords. Leading his fellow countrymen, Tell embarks on a courageous rebellion, seeking to defend their liberty and stand against the tyrannical forces that seek to subjugate them.
Hamm says: “Tell’s story has a relevance and immediacy that is strikingly contemporary. The apple scene in particular has gripped the world’s imagination for hundreds of years and yet has never been dramatized in modern cinema. As a filmmaker I couldn’t ask for a more exceptional cast to bring this story to life.”
“William Tell” is a Free Turn and Tempo production with Groenlandia, in association with DNeg Films, supported by the IDM Film Fund.
The film is produced by Piers Tempest (“The Wife,” “Emily”) and Marie-Christine Jaeger-Firmenich (“Gigi & Nate”). DoP Jamie Ramsay (“Living,” “See How They Run”) lenses, edited by two-time Academy Award nominated Tariq Anwar (“The King’s Speech,” “American Beauty”) with 2nd unit direction by Diyan Hristov (“Dungeons & Dragons,” “Hellboy”).
Francesca Sartori (“Il Mestiere delle Armi,” “Alatriste”) handles costume design and Tonino Zera (“Caravaggio’s Shadow”) is the production designer. Lauren Evans and Avy Kaufman are the casting directors. Redefine, a division of VFX house Double Negative, is handling visual effects.
Marie-Christine Jaeger-Firmenich says: “The legend of William Tell represents the values of freedom and independence to so many in my home country of Switzerland. I am therefore honored and delighted to have the opportunity to share this story with audiences around the world.”
Tempest says: “The story of Tell has resonated throughout the ages; the combination of politics, intrigue and action set against the stunning mountain scenery lends itself incredibly well to cinema.”
Tassilo Hallbauer, head of sales and acquisitions at Beta Cinema, says: “Coming from a team of highly successful producers, helmed by acclaimed director Nick Hamm and studded with a top-class cast right down to the smallest roles, we are thrilled to add this universal, action-loaded and inspiring project to our line-up. The legend of Tell, his crossbow and the apple is known all over the world. We now want to bring the story behind the saga into cinemas around the globe.”
Further cast includes Solly McLeod (“Tom Jones,” “The Dead Don’t Hurt”), Amar Chadha-Patel (“Willow,” “The Creator”), Sam Keeley (“Raw,” “The English Game”), Jake Dunn (“The Ballad of Renegade Nell”) and Tobias Jowett.
Executive producers include Jon Hamm, David Nichols and Francesco Marras.
