Fackham Hall to start shooting next year

Jimmy Carr has written a period comedy movie, parodying the likes of  Downton Abbey and Gosford Park.

Fackham Hall is described as being ‘in the tradition of classic joke-a-minute spoof comedies like The Naked Gun series and Airplane!’.

Carr wrote the script with his brother Patrick and the Dawson Brothers – siblings Steve and Andrew plus Tim Inman – whose credits include Judd Apatow's movie The Bubble and David Walliams sitcom Big School.

The comedian told trade website Deadline: ‘The British film industry does two things very well. Period drama and comedy. Now we didn’t have time to write two movies, so we’ve had to mash the genres together…

‘I’m just slightly worried that if you say Fackham Hall in a posh English accent it might be misconstrued, hopefully that won’t be a problem.’

The film has secured a US distributor, Bleecker Street, at the Toronto International Film Festival,  where the initial cast was announced as  Hero Fiennes Tiffin - the nephew of  Ralph Fiennes – Thomasin McKenzie - daughter of actress Dame Miranda Harcourt, Emma Laird and Katherine Waterston, daughter of actor Sam Waterston.

Jim O’Hanlon who was  nominated for a Bafta for directed Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan’s Catastrophe, is attached to direct, Deadline reports.

Shooting will begin in the UK in early 2024. 

Published: 7 Sep 2023