Midas Man

''Midas Man'' is an upcoming British biographical film about the life of music entrepreneur Brian Epstein. Directed by Joe Stephenson, who replaced previous directors Sara Sugarman and Jonas Åkerlund during filming, it is based on a story and screenplay by Brigit Grant.

Jacob Fortune-Lloyd stars in the lead role alongside Emily Watson, Eddie Marsan, Omari Douglas, Darci Shaw, Ed Speleers, Charley Palmer Rothwell, Bill Milner, Jay Leno, Jonah Lees, Blake Richardson, Leo Harvey Elledge, Campbell Wallace and Adam Lawrence.

Premise

The film tracks how Brian Epstein rose to prominence by managing a series of popular artists including The Beatles, Cilla Black and Gerry and the Pacemakers before his sudden death in 1967 at the age of 32.

Cast

* Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as Brian Epstein
* Emily Watson as Malka, Epstein's mother
* Eddie Marsan as Harry, Epstein's father
* Omari Douglas as Lonnie Trimble
* Darci Shaw as Cilla Black
* Ed Speleers as Tex Ellington
* Charley Palmer Rothwell as George Martin
* Bill Milner as Clive, Epstein's brother
* Jay Leno as Ed Sullivan
* Eddie Izzard as Allan Williams
* Jonah Lees as John Lennon
* Blake Richardson as Paul McCartney
* Leo Harvey Elledge as George Harrison
* Campbell Wallace as Ringo Starr
* Adam Lawrence as Pete Best
* Jordan Kelly as Gerry Marsden
* Milo Parker as Alistair Taylor

Production

Development

''Midas Man'' is a biographical film about Brian Epstein based on a story and screenplay by Brigit Grant. It is a British co-production between Studio POW and Trevor Beattie Films. It is also produced by Er Dong Pictures, who will distribute the film in China. In July 2020, Jonas Åkerlund was announced to direct. In an interview with '' The Guardian'', Åkerlund said he had been researching Epstein for almost two years. He also said he had talked with people who knew Epstein, including Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers: "He told me stories that haven't been printed yet and that we'll introduce into our film." In April 2021, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd was cast in the lead role as Brian Epstein. In July, the film's distribution rights in the U.K. and Ireland were sold to Signature Entertainment. In the following months, Emily Watson, Eddie Marsan and Omari Douglas were cast in September, and Rosie Day, Lukas Gage, Charley Palmer Rothwell and Bill Milner were cast in October.

Filming

The planned 12-week shoot began in Liverpool on 11 October 2021. Principal photography, however, was put on hiatus for three weeks after Åkerlund left the production in November. An issued statement made the claim that filming would continue that same month in London and move to Los Angeles, California, in early January. Sara Sugarman was hired as Åkerlund's replacement, with no reshoots expected to take place, and filming scheduled to start again soon. In late November, Jay Leno, Jonah Lees, Blake Richardson, Leo Harvey Elledge, Campbell Wallace and Adam Lawrence joined the cast and a first-look image was released featuring several cast members at Abbey Road Studios. An issued statement said that after a three month break, filming would begin in the U.S. in late January 2022 before returning to the U.K.

Filming ended up being on hiatus for over a year, before finally taking place in May 2023 in Blackpool. The following month, it was reported that Joe Stephenson had taken over as director from Sugarman, who reportedly left due to scheduling issues and creative differences. Principal photography was completed by Stephenson. It was also reported that Eddie Izzard, Ed Speleers, Darci Shaw, and Milo Parker had joined the cast; Speleers and Shaw replaced Lukas Gage and Rosie Day, respectively.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 12627606

Biographical films about musicians
British biographical films
British films based on actual events
Films about the Beatles
Films shot in England
Films shot in London
Films shot in Los Angeles
Upcoming English-language films
Upcoming films
2020s English-language films
2020s British films