Cary Grant Biopic Archie Set by ITV Studios, Jason Isaacs to Star

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Harry Potter star Jason Isaacs has been cast as classic Hollywood star Cary Grant in a new biopic.

Titled “Archie,” the four-part drama series will tell the story of Grant’s life, from his humble beginnings as Archibald Alexander Leach in Bristol, U.K. to the leading man he became in later life.

It has been written by “Philomena” scribe Jeff Pope with Paul Andrew Williams (“A Confession”) directing.

“Archie” will debut on ITV’s streaming platform ITVX in the U.K. later this year before airing on ITV in the following months. International sales have not yet been announced.

The drama is produced by ITV Studios with co-production partner BritBox International. Rebecca Hodgson is set to produce while Grant’s daughter, Jennifer Grant, and ex-wife Dyan Cannon exec produce.

“There was only one Cary Grant and I’d never be foolish enough to try to step into his iconic shoes,” said Isaacs in a statement. “Archie Leach, on the other hand, couldn’t be further from the character he invented to save himself. Jeff’s brilliant scripts bring to life his relentless struggle to escape the demons that plagued him, his obsessive need for control, his fears, his weaknesses, his loves and his losses. It’s the story of a man, not a legend, and those are shoes I can’t wait to walk in.”

Pope added: “As with many of my projects, I started at the end and worked backwards. I discovered that, at the height of his fame, Cary Grant retired to look after his young daughter. Intrigued, I started to dig into why he had become a single father. What had happened? My journey led me to Bristol, and a young boy called Archie Leach. Cary Grant became one of the most iconic figures of the twentieth century, beloved by presidents and paupers. The key to everything, lay in his childhood.”

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