Mike Medavoy & Keith Chapman Join Producing Team For Charles I & II Epic ‘The Thorn In The Crown’ – Cannes

EXCLUSIVE: Hot on the heels of Charles III coronation, Mike Medavoy and Keith Chapman are boarding the producing team for the Charles I & II historical epic, The Thorn in the Crown.

The Thorn in the Crown, by scribes Pascal Mercay and Morgan Smallbone, tells the story of John Cooke, a humble lawyer and prototype of the modern-day human rights campaigner, who in 1649 London accepted the unprecedented and perilous brief to prosecute King Charles I for treason. All but lost to history, this remarkable figure has been plucked from obscurity and pieced together alongside renowned,
revered, and reviled historical figures, King Charles I, Oliver Cromwell & King Charles II. In 1660, that same crown which was recently bestowed on the head of King Charles III, was newly forged to rest on the head of his namesake, King Charles II. Eleven years earlier in 1649, Charles II’s father, King Charles I, was executed and the crown that he had worn was destroyed – and the monarchy along with it. Cooke’s aim was to change the world, against the odds and no matter the cost, and somehow succeed.

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Medavoy and Chapman are part of a global producing team that includes Australia’s Smallbone for Quick Sticks Pictures, and Donna Andrews for Sticky Pictures as well as the UK’s Pete Coogan.

Chapman is the creator of the global multi award-winning kids IP, Bob the Builder, and Paw Patrol. His creations have generated global sales of $19 billion.

Medavoy, of Phoenix Pictures, has been involved with over 300 feature films during his career, 17 of which were Oscar nominated, with seven notching Best Picture wins, in addition to several international film festival awards.

Says Medavoy, “Having now worked on 325 movies, I sometimes think about ‘the one that got away’, an inspiring film I would have loved to be a part of – Fred Zinneman’s masterpiece, A Man for All Seasons, is such a movie. Dealing with a commoner who risks all to take on a tyrant king, The Thorn in the Crown, covers similar ground and is a worthy successor to A Man for All Seasons, and particularly timely as another Charles ascends to the throne. At its heart though, this is an emotional story of an unsung hero, John Cooke, his family and perennial questions regarding monarchy itself. I am delighted to be teaming up once again with Keith Chapman who brought me this wonderful script by Pascal Mercay and Morgan
Smallbone.”

Added Chapman, “This powerful drama captivated me the moment I read the brilliant script by Pascal Mercay and Morgan Smallbone. The fact that the story is based on truth makes it all the more compelling. We are taken back to the time of a king being tried for tyranny; a bloody period that forever changed the course of British history. Our very own Charles III will soon wear the same St Edward’s Crown that was forged for the Restoration of King Charles II, the previous crown having been destroyed at the time of the execution of both their namesake, Charles I. There has never been a more perfect time for this movie to be made.”

Said Morgan Smallbone, “Donna, Pete, and I are thrilled to partner with such industry heavyweights as Keith Chapman and Mike Medavoy. I have long been fascinated in this blood-soaked period of history and have waited patiently for the opportunity to bring this real-life Game of Thrones to the screen. A story of King Charles I & II in the age of Charles III is that opportunity. We look forward to introducing the heroic and long-forgotten John Cooke to film audiences everywhere.”

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