Mr Burton is a 2025 British biographical drama film about the early life of Welsh actor Richard Burton. It is directed by Marc Evans, written by Tom Bullough and Josh Hyams, and stars Harry Lawtey as Burton, alongside Toby Jones and Lesley Manville. It was released in British cinemas on 4 April 2025.[2]
| Mr Burton | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Marc Evans |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Stuart Biddlecombe |
| Edited by | Tim Hodges |
| Music by | John Hardy |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Icon Film Distribution |
Release date |
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Running time | 124 minutes[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Cast
edit- Harry Lawtey as Richard Burton
- Toby Jones as Mr Burton
- Lesley Manville as Ma Smith
- Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Cis
- Steffan Rhodri as Dic Jenkins
- Aneurin Barnard as Elfed
Production
editThe project was announced in February 2024 with Marc Evans directing from a script written by Tom Bullough and Josh Hyams. Ed Talfan and Hannah Thomas are producers for Severn Screen, with Trevor Matthews producing for Brookstreet Pictures and Josh Hyams producing for Promise Pictures. The film also has finance from BBC Wales and Ffilm Cymru Wales, in partnership with Creative Wales. [3]
In May 2024, Harry Lawtey was cast as a young Richard Jenkins.[4] Toby Jones is cast as Mr Burton, a school teacher who had a profound effect on the life of a young pupil, Richard Jenkins, who later became known as the actor Richard Burton, with Lesley Manville cast as Mr Burton's landlady and Aimee-Ffion Edwards and Aneurin Barnard cast as young Jenkins' sister and brother-in-law.[5]
Principal photography began in July 2024 for a 2025 release to mark the centenary of Richard Burton's birth.[6][7][8] Filming was completed in August 2024.[9]
Composer John Hardy is the nephew of Robert Hardy, lifelong friend of Richard Burton. The score was recorded by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales at the Wales Millennium Centre in December 2024.
References
edit- ^ "Mr. Burton". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ Morris, Steven (March 28, 2025). "'A beloved figure': Welsh village ready for tourists as Richard Burton biopic opens". The Guardian.
- ^ Cook, Sam (February 9, 2024). "Mr Bates vs The Post Office star Toby Jones to star in new biopic about Welsh icon Richard Burton". Walesonline. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 8, 2024). "Rising Brit Actor Harry Lawtey To Play Young Richard Burton In 'Mr. Burton'; Independent To Continue Sales At Cannes". Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (February 8, 2024). "'Mr Burton' To Tell Story Behind Screen Icon Richard Burton's Formative Years; Toby Jones, Coming Off 'Mr Bates Vs The Post Office', Leads Cast With 'The Crown' Star Lesley Manville — EFM". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ Kimathi, Denis (May 8, 2024). "'Mr. Burton' Taps 'Industry' Star To Play a Young Richard Burton". Collider. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Calnan, Ellie (July 18, 2024). "2024 film and high-end TV productions shooting in the UK and Ireland: latest updates". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on September 1, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
- ^ Daniels, Nia (July 1, 2024). "Toby Jones starts filming Mr Burton in Wales". The Knowledge. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
- ^ "Shooting wraps on Richard Burton movie with a stellar cast". nation.cymru. August 12, 2024. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2024.