Duo pick 'Piccadilly' roles

Myriad Pictures is co-producing, co-financing pic with Mission Pictures

By CATHY DUNKLEY

Brenda Blethyn and Hugh Bonneville have joined Sam Rockwell and Tom Wilkinson in the feature adaptation of the P.G. Wodehouse comedy "Piccadilly Jim."

Myriad Pictures is co-producing and co-financing the pic with Mission Pictures. John McKay directs from a Julian Fellowes script.

Rockwell plays the title role of an American rogue on the loose in 1930s London, trying to clean up his scandalous reputation in quest of the girl of his dreams. Wilkinson plays her disapproving father.

Universal Pictures Intl. has pre-bought rights in the U.K., Australia, South Africa, Latin America and France for theatrical distribution via United Intl. Pictures. The other financiers include Ingenious Media's equity fund Inside Track and the Isle of Man Film Ltd.

Mission chairman Andrew Hauptman will produce with execs Peter Czernin and Graham Broadbent. D'Amico and his London-based head of international production Marion Pilowsky are exec producers, alongside the Isle of Man's Steve Christian.

Blethyn, who received an Oscar nomination for Mike Leigh's "Secrets and Lies," has also starred in "Lovely and Amazing," "RKO 241" and "Anne Frank: The Whole Story."

Bonneville will soon be seen co-starring with Billy Crudup, Claire Danes and Rupert Everett in "Compleat Female Stage Beauty." Other credits include "Mansfield Park," "Blow Dry," "Notting Hill" and "Tomorrow Never Dies."