Christopher Eccleston, Anna Friel and Emma Thompson star in a transgender marriage movie

Christopher Eccleston, Anna Friel and Dame Emma Thompson have joined the cast of an upcoming comedy-drama film which tells the true story of a legal battle between a transgender woman and her husband to have their marriage recognized in law.

Hear Me Roar stars Rebecca Root (Heartstopper, Hogwarts Legacy) as Elizabeth Bellinger, a trans woman who married her husband Michael (played by Eccleston) in a secret ceremony in the 1980s.

Almost two decades later, the couple went public with their union and took the government to court to have it legally recognized, with lawyer Ashley Bayston (played by Friel) representing them in the case.

Staying close to the extraordinary story, Bayston serves as co-writer on Hear Me Roar alongside Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures and Death in Paradise writer Lisa McMullin.

Thompson stars as the judge in the landmark case, Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, with Bridgerton and Trigger Point alum Julian Ovenden also set to appear in an as-yet-undisclosed role.

Thompson said: “I’m crying like a baby, it’s so moving and powerful and funny. It’s a great story and script with wonderful characters – I just loved it and it touched me deeply.

“I think it’s both fascinating and deeply meaningful and significant.”

Director Amy Coop added: “It’s a privilege to work with such a fantastic team to tell this incredible story, an overlooked part of modern British history that represented a seismic shift for LGBTQ+ people.”

Root is among Britain’s most prolific transgender actresses, with previous projects including Eddie Redmayne’s award-winning film The Danish Girl, BBC Two sitcom Boy Meets Girl, Sky supernatural drama The Rising and Netflix hit The Queen’s Gambit.

Coop has previously directed episodes of CBBC series Silverpoint and Northern Irish drama Hope Street, while she has been second assistant director on high-profile shows such as Steven Knight’s A Thousand Blows, BBC One’s Ralph & Katie and Netflix’s Feel Good.

Hear Me Roar does not yet have a release date.

Hear Me Roar is coming soon.

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