Gay couple seek revenge on homophobic B&B owner in new thriller
A film about a gay couple who plot against a B&B owner who turns them away has found funding.
The film, to be produced by Hummingbird Films, is backed by Creative England.
It has began shooting in Bristol, and shows a gay couple who plot revenge against a B&B owner, but who find themselves in hot water.
The film stars Paul McGann of Withnail and I, Tom Bateman from Jekyll and Hyde, and Sean Teale of Reign.
The gay couple return to the B&B a year after they sue the owner for not allowing them to share a bed, before they encounter another guest with worse intentions.
ScreenDaily reports that Joe Ahearne will co-write and direct the film.
It will be produced by Jayne Chard, who said: “I was incredibly excited to read Joe’s brilliant script and knew that this film had to made, it’s been a passion project from day one, and now we have a excellent production team and cast to bring this darkly entertaining thriller to the big screen.”
The film echoes real-life incidents which saw B&B owners sued by gay couples they turned away.
The plot bears a likeness to the real-life case of civil partners Martin Hall and Steven Preddy, who were turned away from the Chymorvah Hotel near Penzance in 2008, under Peter and Hazelmary Bull’s policy of not allowing unmarried couples to share rooms.
The Bulls were involved in a long-running legal battle following the incident, but the UK Supreme Court rejected their appeal in 2013.
Hazelmary Bull spoke at an official event at the UKIP party conference, claiming she was “punished” for “believing in marriage”.
Meanwhile, Welsh B&B owner Jeff Green, who refuses to let same-sex couples or unmarried couples share a bed, pledged to stand for Parliament next month in Cardiff North.
Creative England’s senior film executive Richard Holmes added: “This story is as sharp as a knife and, like all Joe’s creations, it has its finger firmly on the pulse. We’re excited.”
