Best Actor Oscar nominee Bill Nighy is at the forefront of the Variety exclusive trailer for the Sony Pictures Classics drama “Living,” celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Written by Kazuo Ishiguro, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2017, the film is an English language adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s “Ikiru” (1952), and it is set in 1953 London, following Mr. Williams (Nighy), a bureaucrat who faces a fatal illness. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, making multiple stops at nearly every major fall festival, including Telluride, Venice and Toronto.
Nighy, one of the great British actors of our time, is given one of the richest roles of his career, delivering tender and deeply moving moments throughout the film. Winner of a BAFTA for “Love Actually” (2003), he never received an Oscar nomination. However, like other great veteran actors recognized over the past 20 years by the Academy – such as Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”), Gary Oldman (“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”) and Richard Jenkins (“The Visitor”) – Nighy could join their ranks as Best Actor.
There’s also plenty of praise for Aimee Lou Wood as Margaret Harris. Wood’s previous films include “The Electrical Life of Louis Wain” (2021), but she’s probably best known for her role as Aimee Gibbs in the Netflix comedy series “Sex Education.” SPC will campaign for Woods to support the consideration of actress awards.
The film also stars Alex Sharp and Tom Burke.
Bill Nighy and Aimee Lou Wood in “Living” (Sony Pictures Classics)
To see ranked predictions for each individual category, visit Variety Oscar Center.
South African director Oliver Hermanus, best known for the indie war drama “Moffie” (2019), assembles an impressive craftsmanship team of veterans and up-and-coming artists. Along with having a clear path to an Adapted Screenplay nomination, these elements make the film a competitive force in the various technical categories during awards season; including production design (Helen Scott, Sarah Kane), cinematography (Jamie D. Ramsay), costumes (from triple Oscar winner and 15-time nominee Sandy Powell) and original music (Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch).
Levienaise-Farrouch recently won Best Original Score in an Independent Film at this week’s Hollywood Music in Media Awards. The film also received nine British Independent Film Award nominations, including Best Picture.
Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen, who were among the producers of Todd Haynes’ Oscar-snubbed romance “Carol” (2015), are on board for the period drama of Hermanus. Woolley was previously nominated for Best Picture for Neil Jordan’s “The Crying Game” (1992).
“Living” opens in New York and Los Angeles on December 23.
Watch the trailer.