New Ken Loach Film, ‘Sorry We Missed You,’ Picked Up by eOne for U.K.

By Robert Mitchell

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Entertainment One is set to distribute British filmmaker Ken Loach’s new film, “Sorry We Missed You,” in the U.K. The movie, which sees the acclaimed director tackle issues of the gig economy and the challenges of a modern work-life balance, began principal photography in the northeast of England on Tuesday. It will be released in the U.K. and Ireland by eOne in 2019.

The film sees Loach once again team with his regular collaborators, writer Paul Laverty and producer Rebecca O’Brien. It tells the story of a family battling against debt since the 2008 financial crash and their attempt to wrestle back some independence after the father gets a new van and the chance to run a franchise as a self-employed delivery driver.

The cast is headed by Kris Hitchen as father Ricky. Hitchen previously had a small role in Loach’s 2001 film, “The Navigators.” The cast also includes Debbie Honeywood, Katie Proctor and Rhys Stone.

It marks the director’s fourth consecutive narrative feature handled by eOne in the U.K. His last film, 2016 Palme d’Or winner “I, Daniel Blake,” was the filmmaker’s second-biggest U.K. box office hit, grossing £3.45 million ($4.2 million) for eOne. His highest-grossing film in the market was his previous Palme d’Or winner, 2006’s “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” (£3.9 million), released by Pathe.

“Sorry We Missed You” will shoot for six weeks in Newcastle and the surrounding area. It is produced by Sixteen Films and Why Not production, with support from the BFI and BBC Films, in co-production with Les Films du Fleuve. International sales are handled by Wild Bunch.