COLIN FIRTH, GEOFFREY RUSH, HELENA BONHAM CARTER
STAR IN
THE KING'S SPEECH
WITH GUY PEARCE, TIMOTHY SPALL, DEREK JACOBI, JENNIFER EHLE & MICHAEL GAMBON
OPENING IN CINEMAS NATIONWIDE ON 7 JANUARY, 2011
THE KING'S SPEECH is based on the true story of Queen Elizabeth II's father and his remarkable friendship
with maverick speech therapist Lionel Logue. Fascinating, moving and often humourous it charts the
personal relationship that developed between England’s reluctant King George VI, plagued by a
nervous stammer, and his irreverent Australian speech therapist.
As the second son of George V, Prince Albert “Bertie” was not expected to ascend to the throne, but
when his brother Edward abdicates to marry American Wallis Simpson, Bertie, as his successor, is
crowned King George VI.
George becomes King as radio is taking off as a mass medium and the Second World War looms.
Thrust into the international spotlight he must speak not only to the nation but to the people of the
British Empire, across the world. His wife, Queen Elizabeth – the future Queen Mother – is tireless in her
belief in him. Having tried all the traditional doctors she engages unorthodox outsider, Logue, to help
him find a voice that can inspire a nation on the brink of war.
BAFTA winner Colin Firth (A Single Man, Mamma Mia!) stars as Prince Albert, alongside his Shakespeare
in Love colleague, Oscar® winner Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean, Shine), as speech therapist
Lionel Logue. The multi-award-winning cast includes Helena Bonham Carter (Harry Potter, Sweeney
Todd) as Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother), with Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker) as the
abdicating King Edward VIII, Derek Jacobi (Gosford Park) as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Cosmo
Lang, Timothy Spall (The Damned United) as Winston Churchill, Jennifer Ehle (Pride and Glory, Pride
and Prejudice) as Logue’s wife Myrtle and Michael Gambon (Harry Potter) as King George V
Directed by Emmy® winner Tom Hooper (John Adams, The Damned United) from a screenplay by
David Seidler (Tucker: The Man And His Dream); THE KING'S SPEECH is produced by See-Saw’s Iain
Canning (Control, Hunger) and Emile Sherman (Candy, Rabbit Proof Fence) and Bedlam Production’s
Gareth Unwin (Exam).
THE KING’S SPEECH will have its UK premiere at the London Film Festival on 21st October.
THE KING’S SPEECH is released in cinemas nationwide on 7 January, 2011
Certificate TBC | Running Time 110 minutes
For further enquiries please contact DDA PR: 020 7932 9800 www.ddapr.com
Rupert Goodwin: rupert,goodwin@ddapr.com / Laura Dickens: laura.dickens@ddapr.com
Teresa Kowalski teresa.kowalski@ddapr.com
Images are available to download from: www.picselect.com
The Weinstein Company and UK Film Council present in association with Momentum Pictures, Aegis Film
Fund, Molinare, London FilmNation Entertainment a See Saw Films / Bedlam Production a film by Tom
Hooper - Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush “The Kings Speech” Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Timothy
Spall, Derek Jacobi, Jennifer Ehle and Michael Gambon - Casting Director Nina Gold - Music Supervisor
Maggie Rodford - Make-up & Hair Designer Frances Hannon - Costume Designer Jenny Beavan -
Production Designer Eve Stewart - Film Editor Tariq Anwar - Composer Alexandre Desplat - Director of
Photography Danny Cohen BSC - Co-Producers Peter Heslop, Simon Egan - Executive Producers
Geoffrey Rush, Tim Smith, Paul Brett, Mark Foligno, Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein - Screenplay by
David Seidler - Produced by Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin - Directed by Tom Hooper