In the tradition of their hit romantic comedies "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill" and "Bridget Jones’s Diary," Working Title Film’s "Wimbledon" is a sweet and funny tale of romance across the net. Peter (Bettany) is an unlucky guy, scoring “love” both professionally and personally. Seeded near the bottom of the world tennis ranks, he manages to score a wild card, allowing him to play in the prestigious Wimbledon tournament. There, he meets and falls in love with American tennis star Lizzie (Dunst). Fueled by a mixture of his newfound luck, love and on-court prowess, Peter works his way up the ranks of the tournament players and actually stands a chance of fulfilling his lifelong dream of winning the men’s singles title—if his luck can just hold out.
With Australian Wimbledon champion Pat Cash serving as tennis advisor on the film, "Wimbledon" was granted unprecedented access by The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTCC) to film during this year’s championships, one of the sports world’s most prestigious and watched events.
Filming now continues at Wimbledon, Shepperton Studios and locations around London, with Sam Neill, Jon Favreau, Bernard Hill, Eleanor Bron, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Austin Nichols also in the cast.
From Hollywood darling to leading lady, Kirsten Dunst has catapulted her way into the spotlight by capturing the most coveted roles in movies. She most recently starred in the record-breaking box office smash "Spider-Man," in Peter Bogdanovich’s semi-biographical murder-mystery "The Cat’s Meow" and in the independent film "Levity." Her upcoming projects include Mike Newell’s "Mona Lisa Smile" (opposite Julia Roberts and Julia Stiles) and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet and Mark Ruffalo). She will also resume her role of “Mary Jane” for "Spider-Man 2." Later this year, Dunst will begin production on the Cameron Crowe film "Elizabethtown."
British-born Paul Bettany is a recognized star overseas with well-received performances in film, on the London stage and on British television. American audiences first discovered Bettany starring in "A Knight’s Tale" (winning the London Film Critics’ Award for Best Supporting Actor). He starred as the imaginary college roommate opposite Russell Crowe in the Oscar®-winning "A Beautiful Mind," garnering another London Film Critics’ nomination. His upcoming projects include: Peter Weir’s "Master and Commander," again starring opposite Russell Crowe; the period mystery-thriller "The Reckoning," opposite Willem Dafoe, which will re-unite him with director Paul McGuigan; and as the lead opposite Nicole Kidman in Lars Von Trier’s Cannes sensation "Dogville," which will have its North American premiere at the 28th Toronto International Film Festival.
Richard Loncraine is one of Britain’s top directors with an impressive list of feature film and television projects. He most recently directed Maggie Smith in the telefeature "My House in Umbria," and Albert Finney and Vanessa Redgrave in the award-winning "The Gathering Storm."
