Jack the Giant Killer (2012)

Another fairy tale update planned - this time for Jack and the Beanstalk...

“When a princess is kidnapped, a long-standing peace between men and giants becomes threatened, and a young farmer is given an opportunity to lead a dangerous expedition to the giant kingdom to rescue her.”

Hoult, McGregor, Tucci, Nighy, Kassir, Tomlinson

Ewan McGregor is in negotiations to play the leader of the king's elite guard. The cast includes Stanley Tucci as the villain, Bill Nighy and John Kassir as the two-headed leader of the giants and Nicholas Hoult as Jack.

Update: Eleanor Tomlinson has been cast as the princess. She has been previously seen in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, shown on the left.

To be directed by Bryan Singer.

Filming to begin late March in London. Source: THR

IMDb

More proposed FAIRYTALES

The Girl in the Cafe (2005)

Bill Nighy is captivating and Kelly Macdonald is charming

in this offbeat romance, set amidst world politics.

The film tells the story of Lawrence (Bill Nighy), a civil servant working for the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Ken Stott), who falls in love with Gina (Kelly Macdonald), a young woman whom he meets by chance in a London café. Lawrence takes Gina to a G8 summit in Reykjavík, Iceland, where she confronts the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (Corin Redgrave) over the issue of third world debt and poverty in Africa, much to Lawrence's embarrassment and the anger of his employers. However, he realises that she is right and tries to help persuade the Chancellor and others at the summit to do something about the issues concerned.
IMDb, BBC

Not a period film but one that had me riveted.

Arthur Christmas (2011) - teaser trailer

Here's a preview of Arthur Christmas which will be out next year.
Starring: James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Ashley Jensen.

Synopsis from Sony Pictures:
Set on Christmas night, the story of Arthur Christmas at last reveals the incredible, never-before seen answer to every child's question: 'So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?' The answer: Santa's exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the heart of the film is a story with the ingredients of a Christmas classic – a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero, Arthur, with an urgent mission that must be completed before Christmas morning dawns.

James McAvoy leads the cast as Arthur, the good-natured but clumsy younger son of Santa. Arthur LOVES everything to do with Christmas; indeed, he is the only one in his family still captivated by the magic of the holiday. Hugh Laurie will play Arthur's older brother Steve, heir to the reins, a cool, incredibly capable guy who has given the North Pole high-tech efficiency, military-style precision. Jim Broadbent plays Santa, who pictures himself as the guy in charge at the North Pole, but is now more of a figurehead as the operation has outgrown him. Bill Nighy plays Santa's 136-year-old father, Grandsanta, a cranky old codger who hates the modern world, is always grumbling that Christmas 'was better when I was Santa' and has a tense relationship with Steve, who he calls 'A postman with a spaceship.' Ashley Jensen will play Bryony, a lowly elf from the Giftwrap Battalion, with an eager-to-please attitude and an obsession with wrapping and bows. Imelda Staunton rounds out the cast as Mrs. Santa, dedicated wife and mother to her husband and sons.

Arthur Christmas (2011)

From THR:
James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Ashley Jensen have joined the voice cast of Arthur Christmas, a 3D, CG-animated family comedy from Aardman Animations.

Sarah Smith is directing and co-wrote the screenplay with Peter Baynham. Barry Cook is co-directing the pic, which is produced by Sony Pictures Animation and sports a release date of Nov. 23, 2011.

The story answers every child's question -- "So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?" -- and focuses on Santa's ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole.

McAvoy plays Arthur, the good-natured but clumsy younger son of Santa and the only one in his family still captivated by the magic of the holiday. Laurie plays Arthur's older brother Steve, the heir to the operation who has given the North Pole a high-tech, military-style precision.

Broadbent plays Santa, who pictures himself as the guy in charge at the North Pole but is now more of a figurehead as the operation has outgrown him. Nighy plays Santa's 136-year-old father, Grandsanta, a cranky codger who hates the modern world, is always grumbling that Christmas "was better when I was Santa" and has a tense relationship with Steve.

Jensen plays Bryony, a lowly elf from the Giftwrap Battalion, and Staunton rounds out the cast as Mrs. Santa.

Michael Giacchino and Adam Cohen are composing the score.

View teaser trailer

Bill Nighy - video interview

I loved watching this 30 minute interview which made me laugh out loud more than once. Bill Nighy sat down to chat about his acting career in BAFTA Life in Pictures.

He successfully frustrated me as Col. Osborne in He Knew He Was Right,
stole the show as the Earl of Clincham in The Young Visiters,
and was entertaining as the washed up rock star in Love Actually.

He's been in such blockbusters as Pirates of the Caribbean and will be in the upcoming Harry Potter films. Other films in his 100 acting credits on IMDb include: The Lost Prince, Glorious 39, I Capture the Castle, Pirates of the Caribbean, Gideon's Daughter, The Girl in the Cafe and State of Play.

Definitely one of my favourite actors! When I first started watching the interview, I thought he might be more serious than my initial estimation but he impressed me even more with his wit and humility!

Pic gallery
Many faces of Bill Nighy at Sydney Morning Herald

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)

Upcoming film reunites two great dames!

With a cast that has definitely caught my interest!
Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy & Dev Patel

Synopsis: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel follows a group of British retirees who decide to “outsource” their retirement to less expensive and seemingly exotic India. Enticed by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and bolstered with visions of a life of leisure, they arrive to find the palace a shell of its former self. Though the new environment is less luxurious than imagined, they are forever transformed by their shared experiences, discovering that life and love can begin again when you let go of the past.

From Fox Searchlight's press release (via Collider):
John Madden (SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE) will direct an all star cast in the comedy THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL from a script by Ol Parker and Deborah Moggach based on the novel by Deborah Moggach. The film will star Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy and Dev Patel and be produced by Graham Broadbent and Peter Czernin of Blueprint Pictures. Fox Searchlight Pictures has worldwide rights and they will co-finance the film with Participant Media and Imagenation Abu Dhabi.

“We’re honored to have John at the helm of this film, a director with a deft hand in both comedy and drama,” said Lewis. “And to welcome back esteemed actors from the Searchlight fold such as Judi, Bill, Tom, Dev as well as the other members of our exceptional cast.”

Strauss said, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Fox Searchlight for this amazing lineup of talent and a story that’s engaging, optimistic, funny and romantic, yet still manages to deal with the real issues that people today are facing everywhere.”

Madden said, “This is a gorgeous script – witty, moving and hilarious – with a wonderful feel for its subject – India. It’s rare to find one that traverses comedy, romance, and melancholy with such a lightness of touch and it’s proved to be a magnet for the cast of your dreams: actors I know and would want to work with in every film – Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson; and actors I’d feel lucky to be in the room with – Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel, and an amazing ensemble. It’s a great project about a world that defies all categorization. No one could come to India and not be changed by it.”

“We have the best of Britain’s actors, the incomparable John Madden directing, a fresh and funny script about ‘outsourcing’ retirement, and amazing partners in Fox and Participant. We’re very excited to get started,” said Broadbent.

IMDb