Coup de theater: what prohibition did this detective comedy have to circumvent?


In theaters since Wednesday, “Coup de théâtre” takes us behind the scenes of a play by Agatha Christie, “La Souricière”. A real challenge for the screenwriter of the film…

Tom George’s twist

With Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody…

What is it about ? In 1950s London’s West End, preparations for the film adaptation of a hit play are cut short by the murder of its Hollywood director. In charge of the investigation, Inspector Stoppard – jaded and completely broke – and Agent Stalker – a zealous young recruit of the genre – find themselves immersed in the heart of a glamorous and sordid behind-the-scenes investigation of the theater. They will try to elucidate this very mysterious crime at their own risk…

The Mousetrap

2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

Spectacular turn of events takes place during the celebration of the 100th performance of the play La Souricière. Entitled The Mousetrap in the original version, this detective theater play by Agatha Christie has had the most consecutive performances in the world since its creation in London’s West End in 1952, where it has never left the poster.

An unsuitable piece


2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

Originally, producer Damian Jones was looking for a play that had been playing for several years in London’s West End that could be adapted into a film. He discovered that The Mousetrap ofAgatha Christie had never been brought to the cinema and for good reason.

Oscar-winning British producer John Woolf had optioned to acquire the rights to the play but, as Jones explains, “There was a clause in the contract that he could adapt the film to the cinema, six months after the end of the room. And of course she never left the poster […]. To circumvent this problem, screenwriter Mark Chappell imagined a meta story, a police investigation taking place behind the scenes of the play, a whodunit within a whodunit.

gender change


2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

The theater producer character played by Ruth Wilson is inspired by a man named Peter Spencer, who owned theaters in the 1950s. For her looks, makeup artist Nadia Stacey and costume designer Odile Dicks-Mireaux found the inspiration from Marlene Dietrich.

The benefits of containment


2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

Most of the film was shot during the second lockdown, which of course posed production challenges. However, there was also some good in that the team had access to places normally inaccessible.

Thus, real London rooms from the 1950s served as sets, such as the Old Vic, Hoxton Hall or the Dominion Theater. “The shooting of the film saved the lives of these theaters, by injecting a little money into their coffers”, underlines actor David Oyelowo. The Savoy Hotel, a luxury palace, was also used for the filming.



Source link -103