Richard III

Background:

One of Britain's top directors, Richard Loncraine had directed a number of documentaries for BBC as well as TV commercials before launching his film career with the well received “Slade in Flame” (1975). In 1995, he gained recognition for directing and co-written the film adaptation of Shakespeare's “Richard III,” from which he also won the Silver Berlin Bear from the Berlin International Film Festival for his directing efforts, not to mention a Golden Berlin Bear nomination, an Alexander Korda Award nomination and a BAFTA Film nomination for Best Screenplay. More recently, he picked up Berlin International Film Festival's Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention for his film “My One and Only” (2009). His other film directing credits include “Full Circle” (aka. “The Haunting of Julia”, 1977), “Brimstone & Treacle” (1982), “Bellman and True” (1987), “Wimbledon” (2004) and “Firewall” (2006). On the small screen, Loncraine jointly picked up an Emmy Award and a Christopher Award for his work in the HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers” (2001). He also directed TV movies such as “Secret Orchards” (1979), “Blade on the Feather” (1980), “The Gathering Storm” (2002) and “The Special Relationship” (2010).

Royal College of Art

Childhood and Family:

Richard Loncraine was born on October 20,1946, in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. He studied sculpture at Central School of Art and Design in London before attending the Royal College of Art Film School.

Band of Brothers

Career:

Richard Loncraine first wanted to become a set designer and then an actor. In 1971, he landed a bit part as Bob's partner on the John Schlesinger Academy Award nominating drama “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” starring Peter Finch, Glenda Jackson and Murray Head. Loncraine also tried other professions such as a sculptor, for which he held several exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Art, and a toy designer before turning to directing. It was the latter job that brought him his first commercial success with an executive toy called Newton's cradle.

Loncraine spent three years working for the BBC, where he handled documentaries and educational programming. One of his contributions to BBC was directing over 70 episodes of the long running series “Tomorrow's World,” showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. After leaving BBC, Loncraine entered the world of commercials, and has since directed over 400 TV commercials.

Eventually, Loncraine made his feature directing debut with “Slade In Flame,” a 1975 musical/drama starring members of the band Slade. The film received a favorable response from critics, and was named by Record Mirror magazine as one of the Top 10 best films in February 1976. The book of the film reached No. 3 in the best selling paperbacks according to the Sunday Times chart around April/May 1975.

Loncraine's next movie, “Full Circle” (aka. “ The Haunting of Julia”), was shown at the San Sebastián Film Festival on September 11, 1977 and released theatrically in the UK in April 1978 and then in the US on September 11, 1981. Starring Mia Farrow, Keir Dullea and Tom Conti, the horror/mystery film won Grand Prize at the 1978 Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival and was nominated for Saturn Awards for Best International Film and Best Music. Also in 1977, Loncraine directed Cheryl Hall, P.G. Stephens and Robert Whelan in the episode “Oy Vay Maria” of the British television anthology series “Play for Today.”

In 1979, Loncraine helmed the made for TV film “Secret Orchards,” the true story of successful and respectable Edwardian businessman Roger Ackerley (played by Freddie Jones). He went on to direct Donald Pleasence, Tom Conti and Denholm Elliott in the BAFTA Award winning TV film “Blade on the Feather” (1980), in which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Single Play for his effort, and Ann Beach, Derek Bond and Tony Caunter in an episode of “Play for Today” called “The Vanishing Army.”

Loncraine returned to the big screen with the British period comedy film “The Missionary” (1982), starring Michael Palin (also the film's writer and producer), Maggie Smith, Trevor Howard and Denholm Elliot. He followed it up with “Brimstone & Treacle” (1982), an underrated psychological horror film with little hostility but much suspense. Written by Dennis Potter and starring Sting, Denholm Elliott, Joan Plowright and Suzanna Hamilton, the film earned Loncraine Grand Prix des Amériques from the 1982 Montréal World Film Festival, which he shared with Adolfo Aristarain for “Time for Revenge” (1981). It was five years before Loncraine directed in the critically acclaimed “Bellman and True” (1987), a crime/drama focusing on a computer analyst (played by Bernard Hill )who becomes tangled in a bank heist that goes awry. Loncraine also co-wrote the film's script.

Loncraine returned to the director's chair when he helmed the TV film “Wide-Eyed and Legless” (1993), starring Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent. The film was released theatrically in the US as “The Wedding Gift.” Two years later, he teamed up with Sir Ian McKellen to adapt Shakespeare's

“Richard III” (1995), starring McKellen as the title role. Despite Loncraine's lack of theatrical background, the film received rave reviews from critics, and was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Costume Design. Loncraine himself earned Alexander Korda Award nomination for Best British Film and the nomination for Best Screenplay - Adapted from the 1997 BAFTA Film Awards, and a Silver Berlin Bear for Best Director and a Golden Berlin Bear nomination from the 1996 Berlin International Film Festival. The film was an average success at the box office.

In 2001, Loncraine directed an episode of the HBO WWII miniseries “Band of Brothers” called “Day of Days.” For his work, the director shared an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special and a Christopher for Television and Cable. He remained on the small screen to direct the TV films “The Gathering Storm” (HBO, 2002), about the marriage of Winston and Clementine Churchill, starring Albert Finney and Vanessa Redgrave, and “My House in Umbria” (HBO, 2003), about an unlikely group of people who are thrown together in the wake of a terrorist attack.

Loncraine resumed his film career when he directed Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst in the 2004 romance/comedy “Wimbledon,” which received mixed reviews from critics. He followed it up with the thriller “Firewall” (2006), starring Harrison Ford, Paul Bettany, Virginia Madsen, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Robert Patrick, Robert Forster and Alan Arkin. “Farewell” grossed over $82 million at the box office against a budget of $50 million. Three years later, Loncraine directed Renée Zellweger, Logan Lerman, Mark Rendall, Eric McCormack, Chris Noth, Nick Stahl, Steven Weber and Kevin Bacon in “My One and Only” (2009), a comedy film loosely based on a story about George Hamilton's early life on the road with his mother and brother. The film received good reviews from critics, and Loncraine won Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention for Competition and a Golden Berlin Bear nomination from the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival.

In 2010, Loncraine directed in the HBO political film “The Special Relationship,” starring Michael Sheen, Demetri Goritsas and Adam Godley. The film received various nominations including two Golden Globes, five Emmys, a BAFTA TV and a Screen Actors Guild.

Awards:

• Berlin International Film Festival: Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention, Competition, “My One and Only,” 2009

• Christopher: Television and Cable, “Band of Brothers,” 2002

• Emmy: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special, “Band of Brothers,” 2002

• Berlin International Film Festival: Silver Berlin Bear, Best Director, “Richard III,” 1996

• Montréal World Film Festival: Grand Prix des Amériques, “Brimstone & Treacle,” 1982

• Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival: Grand Prize, “The Haunting of Julia,” 1978