Ben Radcliffe turns a pickpocket in period spoof in new 'Fackham Hall' trailer
Spoof films are making a comeback, and following the success of 'Naked Gun', the expectations are high for Ben Radcliffe-starrer, 'Fackham Hall'. Jim O'Hanlon's latest period spoof flick is set in the English countryside, where the classic plot of a lower-class criminal is seen charting his way up the pecking order, but finds himself on a bit of a sticky wicket while at it. The film's trailer, released earlier today promises laughs in copious measure.
The official synopsis reads, 'A spoof that crosses ‘Downton Abbey’ with ‘Airplane!’ and ‘Monty Python,’ Fackham Hall follows lovable pick-pocket Eric Noone as he lands a job at a unique English manor house. He quickly rises through the ranks, and a forbidden romance with lady-of-the-house Rose Davenport, blossoms. But when an unexpected murder occurs, Eric gets framed, leaving Rose and her family’s future perilously uncertain.'
The ensemble cast of 'Fackham Hall' includes Ben Radcliffe, Katherine Waterston, Emma Laird, and Thomasin McKenzie. Tom Goodman-Hill, Ramon Tikaram, Tim McMullan, Anna Maxwell Martin, Sue Johnston, Tom Felton, and Damian Lewis round up the rest of the cast. Steve Dawson, Andrew Dawson, and Tim Imman wrote the script. Danny Perkins, Kris Thykier, and Mila Cottray serve as producers along with Jimmy Carr and Patrick Carr.
Earlier, in his interview with Entertainment Weekly, director O'Hanlon promised quite the ride. "We had so much fun making this film. I don't think I've ever laughed as much during a shoot, and I really hope audiences across the board will have just as much fun watching the movie as we had making it," he said. "Those who are fed up to their back teeth of period dramas and want to see them sent up mercilessly, but also those who love them, who will hopefully be able to enjoy the lavish settings, lighting, costumes, and hairstyles even as they're laughing themselves silly at the surreal madness of the world."
Weighing in on spoof as his route, "Ultimately, I don't think parody works unless the people making it have at least some fondness for the genre they're parodying," he added. "So I like to think of Fackham Hall as a very affectionate parody of British period dramas and murder mysteries." Filming began in Yorkshire last November, and additional shoots were done in Liverpool. At the time of writing, there is no official release date confirmed for the period parody.
Watch this space for more updates on 'Fackham Hall'.
