Branagh, Picturehouse team for live cinema broadcasts

Picturehouse Entertainment is partnering with The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company to bring three productions from the latter’s Plays at the Garrick season to the big screen.

The first production will be The Winter’s Tale, starring Branagh and Judi Dench, which will be distributed by Picturehouse to more than 1300 cinemas globally.

Ben Caron (Wallander) is directing the cinema broadcast, the stage production was co-directed by Rob Ashford and Branagh.

This will be followed by Romeo And Juliet, starring Lily James, Richard Madden and Dereck Jacobi and John Osborne’s 1957 play The Entertainer, also starring Branagh, with dates for both screenings to be announced in November.

Kenneth Branagh said: “In 2015, where theatre making and film making meet is exciting. The cinema broadcasts of our plays hope to experiment boldly. We have a team of people who are experienced in both worlds. The potential results, particularly in explaining the magic of Shakespeare, should be fascinating.”

The deal was brokered by Marc Allenby and Alice Frain for Picturehouse Entertainment and Edward Snape and John Bath for Fiery Angel, who are producing the Plays at the Garrick season.