LEONARD AND HUNGRY PAUL – FALLING

Director Andrew Chaplin 
Written by Richie Conroy & Mark B. Hodkinson; Based on the novel by Rónán Hession
Cast Alex Lawther, Laurie Kynaston, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, Julia Roberts (voice)
Production Avalon Distribution
Distribution Subotica

Accompanied by the voice of Julia Roberts as narrator, the series is based on the novel of the same name by Irish writer and musician Rónán Hession. Leonard and Hungry Paul is a delicate coming-of-age story in adulthood, poised between grief, friendship and the discovery of love, seen through the disarming perspective of an outsider. The role finds its ideal interpreter in Alex Lawther, already acclaimed for his unforgettable performance in the Black Mirror episode Shut Up and Dance and in Alien: Earth.

The series follows two board-gaming friends in their thirties: Leonard, a ghostwriter of children’s encyclopedias, and Hungry Paul, a part-time postal worker living at home. As they drift through quiet suburban life, Leonard’s mother’s death, Hungry Paul’s sister’s wedding, and a new romance push them to face a world suddenly wider and full of unexpected possibilities. 

Director Peter Hoar 
Written by Jack Thorne
Cast Keeley Hawes, Paapa Essiedu, Rakie Ayola, Jason Watkins, Niamh Cusack, Adrian Scarborough, David Dawson, Susan Brown, Sandra Voe
Production The Forge Entertainment (a Banijay UK company)
Distribution Banijay

Falling marks Jack Thorne’s first venture into romantic storytelling. Widely regarded as one of the most talented screenwriters of his generation, Thorne has explored adolescence, trauma and marginality in works such as Adolescence, Lord of the Flies and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Here, the British writer brings his intense and emotionally charged style to a love story. Directing is Peter Hoar, acclaimed for the visual and human sensitivity of series such as It’s a Sin and The Last of Us.

Keeley Hawes (Miss Austen, Bodyguard) stars as Anna, a devoted nun, and Paapa Essiedu (Harry Potter, Black Mirror, The Lazarus Project) as David, a Catholic priest, in BAFTA and Emmy award-winning writer Jack Thorne’s first ever love story, directed by BAFTA-winning Peter Hoar (It’s a Sin, Umbrella Academy). Both are deeply committed to their work in the church and their communities. Neither expected to fall in love. But when they do, both are forced to wrestle with what it means for them, their vows, and their relationship with God. Falling is a witty, moving, contemporary romantic drama that is as honest as it is full of heart.