The adaptation, helmed by renowned director Tom Harper, boasts a stellar cast including Academy Award nominee Kenneth Branagh in the lead role of Count Alexander Rostov. Branagh’s versatility and depth as an actor promise to bring Rostov’s character to life in all its complexity.
Joining Branagh is a talented ensemble cast, including rising star Jessie Buckley, who will portray the spirited hotel employee, Nina. The chemistry between Branagh and Buckley is expected to add layers of depth to the intricate relationships portrayed in the story.
The production team, led by Harper, is dedicated to staying true to the essence of Towles’ novel while also incorporating cinematic elements that will immerse audiences in the world of 1920s Russia. With meticulous attention to detail and stunning visuals, the adaptation aims to transport viewers to the luxurious setting of the Metropol Hotel, where much of the story unfolds.
Fans of the novel can expect to see their favorite moments brought to life on screen, from Rostov’s encounters with the diverse array of characters who inhabit the hotel to his reflections on love, loss, and the passage of time.
Synopsis:
Count Alexander Rostov (Ewan McGregor) returns to Russia after the Russian Revolution, where he finds that his gilded past places him on the wrong side of history. Spared immediate execution due to a poem praising the revolution that’s attributed to him, he is banished by a Soviet tribunal to an attic room in the opulent Hotel Metropol, threatened with death if he ever sets foot outside again. They take all of his money, but luckily he has a secret cache.
There, he meets Nina (Alexa Goodall), who has discovered a key that opens all the doors in the hotel. She shows him secret passageways and rooms behind rooms, where he discovers more about what’s going on in the world. He also meets an actress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and old friends he knew before the revolution. Although his room is cold, he’s allowed to pass his time by dining in the hotel’s beautiful restaurant, having his hair trimmed once a week by the barber who still refers to him as “Your Excellence,” and teaching Nina, who’s fascinated by princesses and the royal life.
