One of the films we missed at TIFF this year was Stephen Frears’ The Lost King, which tells the inspiring and odd true story of the woman who, in the early ’10s, helped find Richard III’s bones (which were believed to be lost for centuries), under an asphalt parking lot. This was for a few reasons, but chief among them was that we assumed it already had distribution, given that it features the beloved Sally Hawkins in the lead and that Steve Coogan co-wrote, co-produced, and co-stars in the film. Well, after a bit of a wait, it does now, thanks to the good folks at IFC Films, who certainly believe that Grandma deserves her fair share of entertainment at the arthouse. They dropped a trailer for the film earlier on Thursday, and you bet it’ll be as exciting to her as a freshly-unwrapped Werther’s Original. No judgment there, either: We love us some hard caramels.
Take a look:
Here’s a synopsis:
“In the archaeological find of a century, the remains of King Richard III — presumed scattered over 500 years ago — were discovered under a parking lot in Leicester in 2012. The search was spearheaded by amateur historian Philippa Langley, whose passion and unrelenting research were met with skepticism by the academic establishment. Directed by two-time Oscar nominee Stephen Frears (‘The Queen,’ ‘A Very English Scandal’) and starring two-time Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (‘The Shape of Water,’ ‘Spencer’) as Langley, ‘The Lost King’ is the inspiring true story of a woman who refused to be ignored and took on Britain’s most eminent historians, forcing them to rethink the legacy of one of the most controversial rulers in English history. A tale of discovery, obsession, and stolen glory (both then and now), ‘The Lost King’ is a magical adventure illuminated by one woman’s awakened sense of purpose.“
The Lost King arrives in theaters on March 24. Go ahead and rent a shortbus for the nursing home outing, because you can bet it’s gonna do gangbusters. It’ll be the biggest thing to happen there since Janice, after an 850-game losing streak, finally won a round of Bingo.