Call The Midwife’s Jenny Agutter set to reprise her role in The Railway Children sequel – 50 years after original as Sheridan Smith and Tom Courtenay join the new cast
Call The Midwife star Jenny Agutter is set to reprise her role in The Railway Children sequel – over 50 years after starring in the original film.
The actress, 68, was just 16 when she played Bobbie Waterbury in the 1968 BBC series, before going on to star in the 1970 film version at 18-years-old.
Jenny will star in the rebooted version, named The Railway Children Return, alongside Sheridan Smith and Tom Courtenay, with Sheridan excitedly tweeting about her new role on Thursday.
Back again: Call The Midwife star Jenny Agutter, left, is set to reprise her role in The Railway Children sequel – over 50 years after starring in the original film, right in 1970
Retweeting an announcement by Studio Canal, the actress, 39, penned: ‘So excited to announce my next filming job! Starting this month…’
Studio Canal’s tweeted read: ‘All aboard!
‘We’re delighted to announce cameras are rolling on The Railway Children Return, a sequel to one of the most beloved British family films of all time (pictured – credit: Studiocanal/The Railway Children 1970).
Jenny, Sheridan, Tom and a new generation of railway children will appear in the sequel which is set to hit UK cinemas April 1 2022.
Return: Jenny will star in the rebooted version, named The Railway Children Return, alongside Sheridan Smith and Tom Courtenay, with Sheridan excitedly tweeting about her new role on Thursday
The iconic Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, which appeared in the original production will also feature in the reboot.
Filming for The Railway Children Return will begin on Monday, directed by Bafta-Morgan Matthews, known for films X+Y and Shooting Bigfoot, while Jemma Rodgers will produce the film for StudioCanal, which owns the rights to the original.
Meanwhile, Danny Brocklehurst, whose writing credits include Brassic and Shameless, has written the screenplay.
The sequel is due to hit UK cinemas on 1 April 2022.
Original: Jenny (pictured right) played the eldest child Bobbie in a 1968 TV adaptation, reprising her role in the film version just two years later
Big Role: Now in her late 60s, Jenny has been known in recent years for playing Sister Julienne in the BBC’s Call the Midwife, a role she’s played since 2012
The original film, released in 1970 was based on the novel by E Nesbit, which tells the story of three children who are set to be shipped off to live in the country at The Three Chimneys house beside a railway line , following their father’s arrest on spying charges.
Jenny played the eldest child Bobbie in a 1968 TV adaptation, reprising her role in the film version just two years later. Bobbie’s siblings were called Peter and Phyllis.
The TV personality also returned to play the children’s mother in an ITV remake in 2000.
Now in her late 60s, Jenny has been known in recent years for playing Sister Julienne in the BBC’s Call the Midwife, a role she’s played since 2012.
Exciting: Retweeting an announcement by Studio Canal, Sheridan Smith, 39, penned: ‘So excited to announce my next filming job! Starting this month…’
Cat: Sheridan Smith (left) and Tom Courtenay, 84, will appear in the new version of The Railway Children
Fun times: Sheridan also shared a clip of her ‘crazy hair’ on Thursday as she headed home in a car
‘Coming soon’: She also teased her new book, Honestly, as she shared a backstage snap from a photoshoot
The original 1970 film became a huge hit when it was released and earned an impressive three Bafta nominations.
While it also currently boasts a ‘100% fresh’ rating on review website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 11 critics’ review.
Meanwhile, the new version will see a group of children evacuated to a Yorkshire village during the Second World War.
There, they come across a young soldier who similarly is far away from his home.
The new film will featured key locations as first seen in the original, including Oakworth Station, The Bronte Parsonage and Haworth.
Impressive: The original 1970 film became a huge hit when it was released and earned an impressive three Bafta nominations
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