Harsh Vardhan
Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal-starrer ‘The History of Sound’ is slated to be filmed in Massachusetts, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Adapted from the Pushcart Prize-winning story by Ben Shattuck, the gay drama centers on two young men, Lionel (Mescal) and David (O’Connor). Set against the backdrop of World War I, the duo embarks on the unique mission of recording the voices and music of their fellow Americans, offering glimpses into their lives. Touted as a love story, the narrative of Lionel and David’s journey will also feature a romantic element.
The movie is directed by Oliver Hermanus, a South African filmmaker who has crafted a notable body of work with films such as ‘Shirley Adams’ (2009), ‘Beauty’ (2011), ‘The Endless River’ (2015), ‘Moffie’ (2019), and ‘Living’ (2022). His debut film ‘Shirley Adams’ chronicles the narrative of a single mother raising her paraplegic son, a victim of a gang fight. ‘Beauty,’ the first Afrikaans film selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival, won the Queer Palm Award in 2011. The movie explores the story of François, a married Afrikaner grappling with his closeted identity and obsession with a young lawyer. In 2015, Hermanus wrote and directed ‘The Endless River,’ the first South African film to compete for the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival.
‘Moffie,’ premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2019, draws inspiration from André Carl van der Merwe’s autobiographical novel and depicts the author’s experiences in the Apartheid-era war in Angola. Hermanus ventured beyond South Africa with ‘Living’ in 2022, a film starring Bill Nighy and Aimee Lou Wood, based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s retelling of Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 classic ‘Ikiru.’
O’Connor gained widespread recognition with his portrayal of a Yorkshire sheep farmer in the gay love story ‘God’s Own Country,’ directed by Francis Lee. He won a Golden Globe and Emmy Award, in addition to a BAFTA nomination, for his performance as Prince Charles in Netflix’s ‘The Crown.’ The actor showcased his versatility in recent television roles, which include Lawrence Durrell in ‘The Durrells’ and Marius in ‘Les Misérables.’ His film credits include ‘Mothering Sunday’ alongside Olivia Colman and Colin Firth and ‘La Chimera.’
Mescal garnered acclaim for his BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated performance as Connell Waldron in BBC’s ‘Normal People,’ in which he starred alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones. His recent projects include notable titles such as ‘All of Us Strangers,’ ‘Foe,’ ‘Aftersun,’ ‘Carmen,’ and ‘God’s Creatures.’ The actor headlines the cast of Ridley Scott’s historical drama ‘Gladiator 2,’ which is scheduled to be released on November 22, 2024.
End Cue’s Andrew Kortschak (‘Cop Car’ and ‘The Art of Self-Defense’) and Lisa Ciuffetti (‘The Clovehitch Killer’ and ‘The Art of Self-Defense’) are producing the project along with Andrea Roa (‘It Comes at Night’). “Working with Oliver, Ben, Paul, and Josh is an immense privilege. We are all struck by Ben’s beautiful and resonant short story, exploring love, loss, and memory. We are beyond excited to adapt this story for the screen with this incredible team,” Kortschak said in a statement.
Massachusetts is a significant filming location of ‘The Holdovers’ and ‘American Fiction,’ while the United Kingdom previously hosted the shooting of last year’s major releases such as ‘Barbie’ and ‘Wonka.’ Italy, on the other hand, features in popular productions such as ‘Ferrari’ and ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.’
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