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Red Rose’, the long-awaited feature on Robert Burns is now in production and will be made this summer on location in Scotland from 14th June to 30thJuly. The film is being co-produced by the writer of the project Mairi Sutherland and with director Robbie Moffat , and is Palm Tree’s seventh feature.
The bittersweet story is played against the dramatic backdrop of the French Revolution and charts Burns’ troubled rise from farm labourer to the hero of Scotland. It is a tale of enormous talent and vitality tainted by disapproval, politics and a dangerous appetite for the fairer sex: - his marriage to Jean Armour, thwarted by her disapproving father, the scandal of his love affair with married aristocrat Maria Riddell, his denouncement as a Republican sympathiser and finally, his tragic death.
After much speculation as to who will capture the lead role, Palm Tree have announced that it is to go to Michael Rodgers, whose most recent roles were in Roland Emmerich’s ‘The Patriot’ and Paul Schrader’s ‘Auto Focus’. His big break was playing the children’s character Junior in Britt Allcroft’s ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ in the 2000 block buster starring Peter Fonda and Alec Baldwin. He then went on to star along side Minnie Driver and Rufus Sewell in ‘Higher Love’ and with Rob Lowe in ‘Under Pressure’. He has also guest starred in numerous TV series like NYPD Blues, Metropolis, and recently in American Dreams. Michael has lived in Hollywood for 12 years, but he is originally Scottish and as a result understands the importance of Robert Burns and jumped at the chance of playing the role after working on Robbie Moffat ‘s film called ‘The Bone Hunter’, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2003. His experience working with some of the Hollywood greats combined with his own heritage and passion for the role are likely to produce captivating results.
Rebecca Palmer (film credits include ‘Quills’, ‘Intimacy, ‘This Filthy Earth’ and ‘Elephant Juice’), will play Maria Riddell and Lucy Russell will play Jean Armour. This will be Lucy’s second major role set against the backdrop of the French Revolution – having recently played Lady Dalrymple in the famous Eric Rohmer’s ‘The Lady and the Duke’, an historical film about the French Revolution. For absolute authenticity, the film will be shot on location in many of Robert Burns’ old haunts, in and around Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland.
For further information or to arrange an interview with Michael Rodgers, please contact Mairi Sutherland on 07736 800774.
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