Jeff Nichols’ Loving, starring Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga will start shooting in September 2015 in Virginia.
Edgerton and Negga will play Mildred and Richard Loving, the couple behind the seminal 1967 civil rights case, Loving vs. Virginia.
Richard, a white man, and Mildred, a black femme, were married in June of 1958. As a result, authorities broke into their home, arrested them, and they were sentenced to a year in the state penitentiary. This sentence was suspended on the condition that they be exiled from the state of Virginia. Richard and Mildred would spend the next nine years fighting to get home. All of this, because Richard was a white man and Mildred a black woman.
The film is produced by Sarah Green, Colin Firth, Ged Doherty, Nancy Buirski, Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf.
The film is inspired by the documentary, The Loving Story, directed by Nancy Buirski who joins the producing team on the narrative feature. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Jack Turner will executive produce. The film was developed by Raindog and The Zoo. Big Beach is financing the film.
Writer-Director Nichols says, “I was struck by the simplicity of the Loving’s story, and I hope to make this a painfully beautiful film.”
Nichols’ credits include the 2012 Independent Spirit Award Winner, Mud, Cannes 2011 Critics Week Grand Prize winner, Take Shelter, and Independent Spirit Award nominee, Shotgun Stories (2008).
Nichols’ upcoming film, MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, which stars Edgerton, Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Jaeden Lieberher and Sam Shepard, will be released by Warner.
Joel Edgerton will be seen in Jeff Nichols’ upcoming film, MIDNIGHT SPECIAL and in Warner Brothers’ BLACK MASS with Johnny Depp.
Edgerton’s feature directorial debut THE GIFT, starring Jason Bateman, will be released this summer.
Ruth Negga won an IFTA Best Actress Award for her portrayal of Shirley Bassey in SHIRLEY. She was recently seen in JIMI: ALL IS BY MY SIDE and is recurring on MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. She is currently shooting AMC’s PREACHER with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg directing and has Legendary’s WARCRAFT in post-production.
Established in 2012, Raindog Films is the London-based production company of Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth and former Sony Music UK Chairman Ged Doherty. Raindog is in post-production on Gavin Hood’s EYE IN THE SKY starring Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman and Barkhad Abdi.
Founded in 2004 by Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf, Big Beach is a New York-based company that produces and finances independent films, television and theater. Their upcoming film, THREE GENERATIONS starring Naomi Watts, Elle Fanning and Susan Sarandon is currently in post-production. Big Beach’s releases include Sam Mendes’ AWAY WE GO and Philip Seymour Hoffman’s JACK GOES BOATING. Big Beach’s LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE was a critical and commercial success that was nominated for four Oscars and won two.