Theater News

David Tennant to Star in BBC Film United

David Tennant in Hamlet
David Tennant in Hamlet

Stage and screen star David Tennant will headline the BBC film United, according to a report in Variety. James Strong will direct the film, which will feature a script by Chris Chibnall.

The movie is based upon the true story of Manchester United’s Busby Babes, an award-winning soccer team who lost eight players in a tragic air crash. Tennant will star as coach Jimmy Murphy, with Jack O’Connell and Sam Claflin as team members Bobby Charlton and Duncan Edwards, respectively.

Tennant is best known for playing the title role in the BBC’s Doctor Who series. He made his acting debut on stage in his native Scotland. Early in his career, he spent two seasons with the RSC, where his other roles included Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors and Jack in Peter Whelan’s The Herbal Bed. His many other stage credits include The Pillowman, Lobby Hero, and Look Back in Anger. He recently played the title role in Hamlet, winning a 2009 London Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for his performance.