According to The Hollywood Reporter, Academy Award nominated actress Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, The Imitation Game) has signed on to star in Left Bank Pictures and Pathe’s forthcoming comedy drama film Misbehaviour. In addition to Knightley, Black Mirror actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Jessie Buckley (Wild Rose) have also been cast in the feature film.
Misbehaviour will be based on the real-life story of the 1970 Miss World competition, which was then the most-watched TV show on the planet with more than 100 million viewers. The contest was held in London with legendary stand-up comedian/actor Bob Hope hosting the show. The 1970 Miss World became one of the most memorable and controversial events in pageant history when a global audience had witnessed the patriarchy driven from the stage and the Western ideal of beauty turned on its head.
One of the show’s issue was the sudden protest of the Women’s Liberation Movement, who claimed that beauty pageants demeaned women. The movement gained attention when they caused disruption during the live broadcast, but another controversy erupted when the results were announced, revealing that Miss Grenada won the most coveted title of that night, beating everyone’s favorite contestant. Miss Grenada became the first black woman to be crowned Miss World.
BAFTA winning director Philippa Lowthorpe is set to helm Misbehaviour with Rebecca Frayn to adapt the screenplay. Left Bank Pictures’ Suzanne Mackie and Sarah-Jane Wheale will serve as producers. Andy Harries and Left Banks’ Frayn along with Cameron McCracken and Jenny Borgars of Pathe are the film’s executive producers. Pathe will handle distribution of the film in the U.K., France and Switzerland as well as Misbehaviour‘s international sales.
Knightley is known for her roles in big franchise films such as George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean opposite Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. Her film credits also include drama films such as Atonement, Begin Again, The Imitation Game and Pride & Prejudice. The latter two earned her Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress, respectively. She will next be seen in Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms on November 2.
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