Back in 1993, Emma Thompson was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of the human rights lawyer Gareth Peirce, alongside Daniel Day-Lewis in Jim Sheridan’s “In the Name of the Father,” ultimately losing out (famously) to an 11-year-old Anna Paquin for “The Piano.” Nearly two decades later, Emma Thompson will once again portray the lawyer who famously turned down a CBE, and has worked alongside clients ranging from the family of Jean Charles de Menezes to the Birmingham Six and Julian Assange. Thompson will revisit the character in the international thriller, “The Secret Evidence.”
The film will focus on a young British couple who are mistakenly caught up in the war on terror and turn to Peirce to help get them out of prison. But in the fight for their freedom, the characters find themselves and their families a target of the U.K. government’s secret service. Nicholas Racz (whose single feature directing credit was on 2002’s “The Burial Society”) will direct, while the script has been co-written by Cerie Bullivant who has drawn from his real-life experiences (he was placed under house arrest for two years under suspicion of terrorism offenses that were never proven) for the story.
Production is planned for fall this year, with an estimated budget of $6-8 million. No news yet on who may play the two leads, but Thompson’s involvement should prove a huge boost to the production and provide a great marketing angle for the more discerning of film fans. [ScreenDaily]