To Olivia
To Olivia is a 2021 British drama film directed by John Hay and starring Hugh Bonneville as Roald Dahl and Keeley Hawes as Patricia Neal. It is based on Stephen Michael Shearer's biography about Neal titled An Unquiet Life. The film features Geoffrey Palmer in his final acting appearance.
To Olivia was released in the United Kingdom via Sky Cinema on 19 February 2021.
Plot
The film covers Dahl and Neal's marriage as they grapple with the loss of their daughter, Olivia, from encephalitis due to measles.Cast
- Hugh Bonneville as Roald Dahl
- Keeley Hawes as Patricia Neal
- Sam Heughan as Paul Newman
- Geoffrey Palmer as Geoffrey Fisher
- Conleth Hill as Martin Ritt
Production
Casting
Bonneville was cast as Dahl in May 2017. Hawes was cast as Neal in November 2019. Heughan was cast as Paul Newman in December 2019.Filming
Principal photography began in Surrey on November 14, 2019.Palmer died in November 2020, but had completed all his scheduled scenes before this time.
Release
The film was released in the United Kingdom via Sky Cinema on 19 February 2021.In February 2022, it was announced that Vertical Entertainment acquired North American distribution rights to the film, which was released in the United States on April 15, 2022.