A project not to be confused with Walt Disney Pictures’ similarly-titled The Finest Hours, Deadline is reporting that Lily James (Disney’s Cinderella) and Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) are lined up to star in Their Finest Hour and a Half, directed by Lone Scherfig of An Education fame.
Based on Lissa Evans’ 2009 novel, the movie will follow a British movie crew trying to make a patriotic film to boost morale after the Blitz during World War II. TV writer Gabby Chiappe is adapting, with principal photography set for summer 2015.
James is currently filming Pride and Prejudice and Zombies for director Burr Steers, while Claflin would be reteaming with Scherfig after starring for her in The Riot Club, which has yet to announce a U.S. release date despite opening in the UK in September.
Their Finest Hour and a Half is produced by Wild Gaze’s Amanda Posey (A Long Way Down) and Stephen Wooley (Byzantium), with BBC Films also partnering on the project, which will be shopped to buyers at the American Film Market next month.
