Rickman rents a Villa

We can see the trailer now: “BAFTA Award winner Alan Rickman IS Willy…” No, perhaps not. But he will be playing a character called Willy Ludley in the film version of Piers Paul Read’s psychodrama novel The Villa Golitsyn. And his co-star will be Kristin Scott Thomas, who he last worked with on Anthony Minghella’s short Play.

Set in the swanky south of France, the plot follows diplomat Simon Milson, who arrives to stay with friends Willy and Priscilla Ludley (Rickman & Thomas) but soon discovers their French idyll is on the brink of psychologically motivated collapse. Willy is drinking himself to death, and Priscilla is powerless to stop him. Despite being lulled by wine, sun and his old friend Willy's charm (stop sniggering at the back), Simon has an important mission. He has to establish if it was Willy's treachery that led to the brutal torture and murder of a fellow foreign office colleague in Borneo. Dum… dum… duuuurrr…

Sounds like a real plot-boiler to us. Krays director Peter Medaks is at the helm and plans to begin shooting on 5 June. Anyone get the feeling this is a director and actors after a lovely freebie trip to sunny France?

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