Golda Rosheuvel (Bridgerton, Dune) and Priya-Rose Brookwell (The Lazarus Project) are set to take up the lead roles of ‘Dinah’ and ‘Charlie’ in Grow, produced by Double Nickel Entertainment (The Burial, Gran Torino) in association with Sky and Orogen Entertainment.
The family feature will star Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, How To Train Your Dragon) as the eco-loving pumpkin pundit ‘Arlo’ and Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso, Downton Abbey) as ‘Mr Gregory’, a pumpkin-obsessed mad scientist. Tim McInnerny (Notting Hill, One Day) and Jane Horrocks (Absolutely Fabulous, Bloods) will appear as ‘Lord & Lady Smythe-Gherkin’, the town’s reigning pumpkin-growers. Also, with comedian and presenter Alan Carr (Interior Design Masters, Picture Slam & Changing Ends) as ‘the MC’. Award-winning John McPhail (Anna and the Apocalypse) directs.
Supporting cast includes Joe Wilkinson (Afterlife) as the hapless ‘Boris Mudd’; Kathryn Drysdale (Bridgerton) as Charlie’s mum ‘Polly Little’; Fisayo Akinade (Heartstopper) as lab assistant Kevin; and Sharon Rooney (Barbie) as ‘Sharon’, who runs the orphanage.
Grow is the story of Dinah Little, a no nonsense, curmudgeonly farmer with a heart of gold, and Charlie, the unknown and unloved niece Dinah begrudgingly takes in after discovering Charlie in an orphanage. Dinah's farm is in the self-proclaimed "Pumpkin Capital of the World" where the biggest event of the year is a high-stakes cutthroat giant-pumpkin-growing contest where the entire town gets their pumpkin patches ready to compete for a cash prize and pumpkin glory. Charlie has a special bond with plants and, combined with her feisty personality and determination, decides to grow a gigantic pumpkin for the competition, to attempt to win the coveted prize. Charlie and other pumpkin growers face sabotage and advanced pumpkin technology in the battle of the pumpkin bulge. As she nurtures ‘Peter’, her pumpkin, and sees him grow, so does a bond between Dinah and Charlie.
Principal photography has commenced in Scotland. Grow has brought together producers and executive producers from Canada, US and the UK to bring this family film to life.
Blazing Griffin, Zertex Media, Screen Scotland, Pont Neuf Productions, Foundry, and GFM Film Sales join Sky, Orogen Entertainment and Double Nickel on the production.
John McPhail, Director, said: “Grow is a joyous comedy about growth, nurturing and family. Set in a world of pumpkin obsessed, madcap characters but grounded in real relationships, it’s a film the whole family can enjoy.”
Adam Richman, Jenette Kahn and Joe Capotorto, Producers for Double Nickel Entertainment, comment: “We are thrilled to be working with our partners at Sky and Orogen on this classic seasonal perennial which audiences will love year in and year out. John McPhail has realised the absolute best and magical version of Grow - a funny, heartwarming, and forward-looking film. Led by the incomparable Golda Rosheuvel and the hilarious Nick Frost and Jeremy Swift, the movie will delight audiences across the globe with its humour, messages of inclusion and sensitivity to nature.”
Grow will be released in cinemas globally and on Sky Cinema in the UK and Ireland in 2025.
