THE HISTORY BOYS set for Royal Performance

Fox Searchlight Pictures announced today that THE HISTORY BOYS will make its Royal World Premiere for the Royal Highnesses, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Leicester Square in London.

Straight off their Tony Award winning Broadway run which ends on October 1st, “The Boys” will fly directly to the U.K. for the Royal Word Premiere on October 2nd.

In June, “The History Boys” won six Tony Awards including Best Play.  Not since 1949 has a play been so triumphant at the Tony’s equaling the record set by Arthur Miller’s seminal “Death of a Salesman.” It also took home Tony prizes for Best Actor, Richard Griffiths; Best Director, Nicholas Hytner; Best Featured Actress, Frances de la Tour; and two Best Design Prizes, Sets and Lighting.

“The History Boys” is the most award winning play this year winning Best Play at the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critic Circle Award, the Drama League Award, the Olivier Award, the Evening Standard Award and the London Critics’ Circle Award.

Fox Searchlight President Peter Rice said, “We felt this was the absolute perfect way to premiere this film.  We couldn’t be happier that our World Premiere will be in the presence of their Royal Highnesses.  After the phenomena of the play in London and now in New York it’s a thrill to have them return triumphantly home to London and bring it all full circle.”

THE HISTORY BOYS pairs up acclaimed Director Nicholas Hytner and Oscar nominated, master story-teller Alan Bennett for a second time after their Award winning THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE.  The film is produced by Kevin Loader, Nicholas Hytner and Damian Jones, financed by DNA Films and BBC Films. Fox Searchlight will release the film in the U.S. on November 22; Twentieth Century Fox will release the film in the U.K. on October 13.

Director Nick Hytner said, “I was delighted Prince Charles enjoyed his visit to the National Theatre to see the ‘The History Boys’ so much.  Alan Bennett and I were happy to join his summer school for English and History teachers to discuss the issues raised by the play.  It is very exciting to be able to welcome him and the Duchess of Cornwall to the World Premiere of the film in England, where it all began.  We hope to be able to continue our discussion about the purpose of education and the meaning of history.”

THE HISTORY BOYS tells the story of an unruly class of bright, funny students in pursuit of an undergraduate place at Oxford or Cambridge. Bounced between their maverick English master (Richard Griffiths), a young and shrewd teacher hired to up their test scores (Stephen Campbell Moore), a grossly out-numbered history teacher (Frances de la Tour), and a headmaster obsessed with results (Clive Merrison), the boys attempt to sift through it all to pass the daunting university admissions process. Their journey becomes as much about how education works, as it is about where education leads.

The Royal Premiere will raise funds for the youth charity, the Prince’s Trust that helps change young lives in the UK.  It gives practical and financial support, developing skills such as confidence and motivation.  It works with 14-30 year olds who have struggled at school, have been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law.  In 30 years, The Prince of Wales’s charity has helped over half a million young people and continues to support 100 more every day. The Prince’s Trust needs to raise one million pounds every week.

Fox Searchlight Pictures is a specialty film company that both produces and acquires motion pictures.  It has its own marketing and distribution operations, and its films are distributed internationally by Twentieth Century Fox.  Fox Searchlight Pictures is a unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, a unit of Fox Entertainment Group.