Filming begins this week on & SONS; when the film was first announced, the cast included Noah Jupe, George MacKay and Matt Smith.

Filming begins in the south-east this week (w/c 2 Dec) on Argentinian director Pablo Trapero’s English-language feature debut, & SONS, starring Bill Nighy.

With a screenplay by Sarah Polley, adapted from the novel of the same name by David Gilbert, & Sons centres on elusive novelist A N Dyer (Andrew), who has enjoyed worldwide success with his debut book. He wakes up one day certain that he is about to die, and summons his sons to be with him, attempting to set right the key relationships in his life, following an incident 20 years before.

The cast announcement in May included George MacKay, Noah Jupe and Matt Smith; Nina Gold is the casting director.

& SONS is produced by Phin Glynn, Axel Kuschevatzky and Cindy Teperman of Infinity Hill, with Trapero through his production company Matanza Cine. Stephen Kelliher and Sophie Green of Bankside Films – that is handling world sales – executive produce alongside Kasia Neiman, Bahman Naraghi and Paul Telegedy.

Trapero said at the time of the announcement: “What appealed to me most was the universality of a “normal” family dynamic as the core of the storytelling. Our most intimate relationships are usually our most complicated.

“& SONS tells the story of a collection of people who are all flawed and trying to find peace with one another, although struggling to do so. The unexpected surreal twist makes things beautifully more complicated.

“The sensational cast, that I am thrilled to be working with, is a dream come true. They are the perfect ensemble to tackle and elevate these characters in the most powerful way, honouring the equally potent writing from Sarah.”