The revival of long-running sci-fi series “Doctor Who” has been, it’s fair to say, a huge success. Becoming appointment viewing for kids and adults alike in the U.K, it’s virtually the biggest drama in the country, and has become bigger and bigger abroad as the years go on. So far, however, it’s stars haven’t really broken out on the big screen: Christopher Eccleston was already well-established before his one-season turn, while a punishing shoot schedule didn’t leave much space for tenth and eleventh doctors David Tennant and Matt Smith to sneak in a movie.
But things may be starting to change: Tennant will make his Hollywood debut in a few weeks in “Fright Night,” with romantic comedy “The Decoy Bride” following not soon after, and now Scottish actress Karen Gillan, who plays companion Amy Pond on the current series, looks to be taking her first big-screen role in his footsteps. The actress, who *spoiler* is rumored to be leaving the show after the currently-airing series, is reported by Screen Daily to be taking the lead role in romantic comedy “Not Another Happy Ending,” which will shoot at the turn of the year in her native Scotland.
Gillan will play an eccentric writer of miserable fiction, who’s stricken by writer’s block after success makes her happy. Her publisher (played by rising British star Emun Elliot, of “Black Death” and “Game of Thrones“) decides to make her miserable to help her get back to work, but finds himself falling in love with her. The excellent Martin Compston, of “Red Road” and “The Disappearance Of Alice Creed” is also on board, in an unknown role.
David Solomoms (“Five Children And It“) has penned the script, and John McKay, director of Britflicks “Crush” and “Piccadilly Jim,” who’s currently working with Gillan on a BBC TV biopic of 1960s model Jean Shrimpton entitled “We’ll Take Manhattan,” is at the helm. McKay describes it as “a quirky, romantic indie movie,” and we hope he’s right, because the premise sounds pretty generic to us; hopefully the script and cast will elevate it into something more interesting. Filming will start at the end of this year, or the beginning of this year, so a late 2012/early 2013 release seems to be likely.