Dustin Hoffman's 'Quartet' to Star Maggie Cruz and Billy Connolly

LONDON Oscar champion Maggie Cruz, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins are singing from Dustin Hoffman's song sheet for his U.K. set directorial debut "Quartet."Hoffman's cast, searching just like a who's who of British talent, includes Sheridan Cruz and Michael Gambon and it is set to aim for nine days, beginning now.BBC Films and DCM Productions are backing a Headline Pictures and Finola Dwyer Productions movie in colaboration with Decca and purchasers and finance label HanWay Films.According to Ronald Harwood's stage play of the identical title, "Quartet" is charged like a film about changing senior years and growing older with hope.It informs the storyplot of several old folks who reside in a house for upon the market opera performers. Each year on Giuseppe Verdi's birthday, the citizens unite to provide a concert to boost funds for his or her home. A brand new resident is available in and upsets the total amount as old rivalry's appear.Hoffman's film is created by FinolaDwyer and Stewart Mackinnon."Quartet" is bankrolled by BBC Films, DCM Productions and Decca.Executive producers are Jamie Laurenson (BBC Films), Dario Suter, Christoph Daniel and Marc Schmidheiny (all from DCM), Dickon Stainer (Decca), Xavier Marchand (Momentum) and Hoffman.HanWay is handling worldwide sales.Deals inked already include Momentum for that U.K., Transmission for Australia / NZ, Delphi for Germany, Lusomundo for Portugal, A Movie for Benelux, Vertice for The country, Odeon in A holiday in greece, Elite Film AG in Europe, MG Film in former Yugoslavia, Front Row in the centre East, Ster-Kinekor in Nigeria and Atom Cinema in Taiwan. The Hollywood Reporter