Nathalie Lichtenthaeler and David Gleeson’s production outfit Wide Eye Films returns to Limerick following the success of ‘Once Upon a Time in a Cinema’.
Limerick is set to welcome another international film production with the announcement that Oscar-nominated filmmaker Whit Stillman will bring his new feature film, A Night at Claridge’s, to the city and county for filming.
The production will be directed by Stillman, whose body of work includes Love and Friendship, The Last Days of Disco and Metropolitan (for which he was Oscar nominated for Best Screenplay).
A Night at Claridge’s will reunite Stillman with actor Adam Brody, following their collaborations on Damsels in Distress and The Cosmopolitans.
Brody, who most recently starred in the Netflix series Nobody Wants This is most well-known for his roles in TV series, The OC and Smallville alongside feature films SHAZAM! And THE KID DETECTIVE, will appear alongside Laura Carmichael, best known for her role as Lady Edith Crawley in Downton Abbey.
A Night at Claridge’s is being produced by Nathalie Lichtenthaeler of Wide Eye Films, whose recent production Once Upon A Time in A Cinema was filmed in Limerick and released earlier this year to wide acclaim. The film is currently on release in the US and Canada and is due to roll out across Europe and Australia in the coming months.
Other producers are Valencia Haynes, Georgina Lowe, Suzanne Warren and Lauranne Bourrachot.
This new production further strengthens the growing relationship between the mid-west regional and the international film and TV industry.
Nathalie Lichtenthaeler, Producer for Wide Eye Films said:
We are thrilled to be returning to Limerick with A Night at Claridge’s. Our experience shooting Once Upon a Time in a Cinema here was so positive that we resolved to return as soon as we could. That we were able to secure a project of this scale, with this cast, led by a filmmaker of Whit Stillman’s acclaim, is a real testament to all the region has to offer, not least the growth in skilled, available professionals on both sides of the camera.
With the backing of Mayor John Moran, Film in Limerick, Limerick City and County Council and Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board, we look forward to creating further opportunities for local talent and contributing significantly to local businesses on what promises to be an intense and exciting endeavour.”
Paul C. Ryan, Regional Film Manager at Film in Limerick stated:
“Securing this production for the region is a significant moment for Film in Limerick. Whit Stillman is a filmmaker with an extraordinary body of work, and the opportunity to welcome him and this talented cast to Limerick is a strong endorsement of the region as a production destination.
Our role at Film in Limerick is to make the process of filming in the region as straightforward and productive as possible, while connecting productions with the locations, crew, suppliers and services they need. The return of Nathalie Lichtenthaeler and Wide Eye Films following Once Upon A Time in A Cinema is especially significant. Repeat productions and returning producers are an important indicator of the strength of Limerick’s offering, and this is another step in establishing long-term relationships with the international production community.”
A story set against wartime Britain
Set in London in the autumn of 1943, during the build-up to D-Day when American troops were arriving in large numbers, the film centres around Laura Carmichael’s character of Miss Roach who trades Blitz-torn London for a boarding house, only to find herself torn between Adam Brody’s charming American officer and a rival’s jealousy.
The screenplay has been adapted by Stillman from Patrick Hamilton’s acclaimed 1943 novel The Slaves of Solitude. Hamilton was also a celebrated playwright, whose works included Gas Light and Rope, both of which were subsequently adapted into major films by Alfred Hitchcock.
International cast and Limerick production talent
The production will bring an internationally recognised cast to Limerick, including Tom Bennett, who previously worked with Stillman in Love & Friendship, where he played the memorable Sir James Martin.
Also joining the cast is acclaimed British actress Susan Hampshire, a multi-Emmy Award-winning performer whose extensive career includes the television classic The Forsyte Saga.
For Limerick, the production represents another significant opportunity to showcase the region’s locations, creative workforce and growing capacity to support high-profile screen productions.
Filming will take place in the coming months with the film expected to be completed and released in 2027.