Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson reunite in The Great Escaper first look
The Oscar winners last acted together 47 years ago.
Oscar winners Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson are reuniting onscreen in the upcoming film The Great Escaper – and now, we have a first look image to prove it, as principal photography kicks off.
The film, inspired by true events, tells the story of a Second World War veteran who escapes from his care home to attend the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in France.
Bernard Jordan’s story made headlines around the globe in 2014 when he staged a "great escape" from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy, where they commemorated their fallen comrades.
Sir Michael (The Quiet American, The Cider House Rules), 89, will portray Mr Jordan, while Jackson (Hedda, A Touch of Class), 86, will star as his wife Irene.
The film legends last acted together 47 years ago in the Joseph Losey classic The Romantic Englishwoman.
"It was a story that captured the imagination of the world - Bernie seemed to embody the defiant, 'can-do' spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing," The Great Escaper's official synopsis teases. "But of course, it wasn’t the whole story. It was the story we all tell ourselves to make war and old age bearable. The bitter-sweet script explores the reality with wit and a very big heart."
It continues: "Bernie’s adventure, spanning a mere 48 hours, also marked the culmination of his 60-year marriage to Rene (Jackson) - the story celebrates their love without sentimentality and with an eye to the lessons we might all learn from the Greatest Generation."
The film is being directed by the BAFTA nominated Oliver Parker (An Ideal Husband) from a script by BAFTA-nominee William Ivory (Made in Dagenham).
Parker previously said: "No one can resist a script that makes people both laugh and cry – I loved Billy’s writing and the story itself, so inspirational and so moving, seemed to speak to our times and our need for heroes on a human scale, whether people like Bernard Jordan or our doctors and nurses."
He continued: "And now to have Michael and Glenda – two iconic actors – agree to honour this story with their brilliance, it’s the cherry on the cake!"
Sir Michael is a two-time Oscar winner. He bagged best supporting actor gongs for Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules.
Jackson also picked up two Academy Awards, winning best actress for Women In Love and A Touch Of Class.
The film is being produced by BAFTA-nominees Robert Bernstein and Douglas Rae (Nowhere Boy) and is an Ecosse Films production for Pathé and BBC Film.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
