Derek Jacobi, Mawaan Rizwan, Maria Friedman, Meera Syal, Danny Dyer, Ray Fearon, Alice Eve, Lucien Laviscount & James Lance board Sky Original film Tinsel Town

Sky has today announced further cast names for its upcoming Sky Original Christmas film Tinsel Town, currently shooting in the UK, and starring the previously announced Kiefer Sutherland and Rebel Wilson.

Sutherland plays Bradley Mack, a failed Hollywood action star who ends up in a small, snow-dusted village to star in the town’s eccentric production of Cinderella. Here, he encounters a colourful cast of oddball locals who slowly come to hold a special place in his heart, including no-nonsense choreographer Jill (Wilson). Comedian Katherine Ryan (The Duchess) will take on the role of Mack’s long suffering agent with the local villagers played by the legendary British actor Derek Jacobi (Gladiator II), Mawaan Rizwan (Juice), Maria Friedman (Unforgotten), Jason Manford (Waterloo Road), Asim Chaudhry (People Just do Nothing) Danny Dyer (Rivals), Ray Fearon (Barbie), Alice Eve (Star Trek In To Darkness), Lucien Laviscount (Emily in Paris) and James Lance (Ted Lasso) with Meera Syal (The Wheel of Time), taking on the role of the productions’ director. Breakout star Savannah Lee Smith (Cruel Intentions) has also been added to the line-up.

The script has been penned by Frazer Flintham, Adam Brown and Piers Ashworth with additional material by Jake Brunger, and will be directed by Chris Foggin (Bank of Dave). Matt Williams and Pascal Degove at FAE will produce. Executive Producers are Julia Stuart, Laura Grange, Piers Tempest and Martin Owen.

Mister Smith Entertainment have launched worldwide sales at the European Film Market.

Julia Stuart, Director of Original Film at Sky said: “We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome such a phenomenal array of talent to Tinsel Town. With screen legends like Sir Derek Jacobi and Meera Syal, as well as the incredible talent of Mawaan Rizwan, Alice Eve, James Lance, Lucien Laviscount alongside the comedic energy of Katherine Ryan, Danny Dyer Jason Manford, and Asim Chaudhry, this cast is truly something special. Their chemistry and unique performances will bring an extra layer of magic, mischief, and heart to what promises to be a festive treat for Sky audiences. We can’t wait to share it with the world later this year.”

David Garrett of Mister Smith Entertainment said: “This is a delightfully funny and heartwarming movie with the kind of broad commercial appeal which has immediately resonated with the international buyers and ticks all the right boxes. It is going to be a fun ride.”

Matt Williams of Future Artists Entertainment said: “I couldn’t be more thrilled with the incredible ensemble we’ve put together for this film - every actor brings such heart and magic to the story, and together, they’ve created something truly special.”

Tinsel Town was commissioned and developed by Sky in association with Future Artists Entertainment. Mister Smith Entertainment will launch worldwide sales at the upcoming European Film Market.

Tinsel Town will be coming to Sky Cinema at Christmas 2025.

For more information, please contact:

DDA PR – hannah.tatum@ddaglobal.com

Sky is one of Europe’s leading media and entertainment companies and is part of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company that connects people to moments and experiences that matter. At Sky we Believe in Better. It’s in our DNA.  

We’re famous for innovation. We offer the world’s smartest TV, Sky Glass; our plug and play streaming puck, Sky Stream; the best aggregation platform, Sky Q; and streaming services NOW and WOW. We provide connectivity you can count on in mobile, fast, secure, reliable residential and business broadband, as well as smart home protection through Sky Protect.  

We’re Europe’s premium content producer. We create award-winning original content, produce the biggest live sporting events, and we provide free access to news and the arts. Our new state-of-the-art film and TV studio Sky Studios Elstree is projected to attract £3 billion of new production investment to the UK in its first five years and create up to 2,000 jobs.  

We are a diverse and inclusive employer that has a positive impact on society and the communities that we work and live in. Sky plays a major role in the UK’s cultural economy and, in 2022 alone, supported a contribution of £20 billion to UK GDP, broadcast 70,000 hours of elite sports coverage and invested over £130 million to provide news to consumers free of charge.

Future Artists Entertainment was founded in 2019 by Producer Matt Williams and has had an unprecedented entrance into the film industry, producing 12 films in 4 years, including 5 for Sky, 2 for Amazon Studios, and 1 for Netflix. FAE’s latest releases include Netflix UK’s No. 1, Bank of Dave, featuring Rory Kinnear, Joel Fry and Phoebe Dynevor as well as Russel Crowe’s Pokerface, featuring Liam Hemsworth. Upcoming releases include How to Date Billy Walsh, coming soon to Amazon Prime starring Tanner Buchanan, Nick Frost, Sebastian Croft and Bridgerton’s Charithra Chandran, as well as Sky’s Breaking Point, set in the world of break dancing, starring Hannah John Kamen, Alice Eve and Lucian Msamati as well as multiple world elite breakers.  Sky Original family adventure Robin and The Hood will launch in July 2024 whilst recently announced Lionsgate survival thriller Above The Below co-directed and staring Idris Elba is in post-production. Focusing on mainstream commercial and culturally relevant content, we work with the world’s leading creatives, talent and global distributors. With an exciting line up of films for Sky and Amazon for 23/24 and a full development slate pipeline, FAE is one of the UK’s most exciting and dynamic full-servicing production companies.

Mister Smith Entertainment (MSE) is involved in the financing, co-financing, and licensing of high-quality mainstream feature films and filmmaker-driven movies for the global market. MSE’s current sales slate includes British murder mystery thriller Sleeping Lions, directed by Mat Whitecross and starring Jonathan Pryce and Nick Mohammed; Christmas comedy Tinsel Town, directed by Chris Foggin and starring Kiefer Sutherland and Rebel Wilson; horror thriller Dangerous Animals, directed by Australian genre auteur Sean Byrne and starring Hassie Harrison, Jai Courtney, and Josh Heuston; SXSW Narrative Spotlight selection The Threesome, a comedy drama directed by Chad Hartigan and starring  Zoey Deutch, Jonah Hauer-King, and Ruby Cruz; drama Everybody Digs Bill Evans, directed by Grant Gee and starring Anders Danielsen Lie, Bill Pullman, and Laurie Metcalf; action thriller Perdition, directed by Henry Dunham and starring Sam Claflin and Rupert Friend; faith-based family epic In the Beginning, directed by
David L. Cunningham; psychological thriller If She Burns, written and directed by Alex Wolff and starring Victoria Pedretti, Alex Wolff, Asa Butterfield, and Justice Smith; New Zealand body horror Grafted, directed by Sasha Rainbow and starring Joyena Sun and Jess Hong; and Canadian rom-com and 2024 TIFF selection Young Werther, written and directed by José Lourenço and starring Douglas Booth, Alison Pill, and Patrick J. Adams. 

For further information, please visit MSE’s website: https://mistersmithent.com/