Swindon's Billie Piper cast in new movie with Andrew Scott and Olivia Coleman
Swindon-born Billie Piper first took to our screens as Rose Tyler, companion to The Doctor, in 2005 when Doctor Who was resurrected after a sixteen-year absence from TV.
The young actress starred alongside both Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant and more recently, took on the role of Isadora Capri in the hit Netflix show Wednesday.
Piper, who was born in Swindon, grew up in the town and attended Bradon Forest School in Purton until the age of 12, when she won a scholarship to the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London.
Now, she has been announced as joining the cast of the new upcoming drama Elsinore, alongside some incredibly famous castmates.
TV star Billie Piper grew up in Swindon and attended Bradon Forest School. (Image: PA)
The new movie will be led by Andrew Scott (best known for roles as Moriarty in Sherlock and The Hot Priest in Fleabag) and Oscar-winning Olivia Coleman.
Alongside Billie Piper, other recognisable names joining the cast include Luke Thompson (Bridgerton), Joe Locke (Heartstopper), Johnny Flynn (Ripley), Monica Dolan (Mr Bates Vs The Post Office), Juliet Stevenson (Reawakening), Adeel Akhtar (Sherwood) and Peter Mullan (I Swear).
There are also roles for Matthew Beard (The Testament of Ann Lee), David Dawson (The Last Kingdom), Kadiff Kirwan (Slow Horses) and Dickie Beau (What It Feels Like For A Girl).
The film is based on a script by Stephen Beresford, and is set to be directed by Simon Stone, who previously directed Billie Piper's Olivier Award-winning performance in Yerma.
It will tell the true story of Scottish actor Ian Charleson, who will be played by Andrew Scott, and whom "faced incredible odds while preparing to give the performance of his life in Hamlet at the National Theatre in London."
Andrew Scott will take on the lead role in the film (Image: PA)
Charleson appeared in a number of iconic films, including Oscar-winners Gandhi and Chariots of Fire.
He was diagnosed with HIV in 1986, and died four years later in 1990.
He took on the role of Hamlet just eight weeks before his death despite being seriously ill, and he requested that the cause of his death be made public after he passed.
This was the first time that the death of a celebrity in the UK had been openly attributed HIV/AIDS.
It's not yet been revealed who Billie Piper or many of the other cast members will be playing in the movie.
Speaking about the film when it was first announced in December 2025, director Simon Stone called it "one of the most exciting projects I've ever been involved in."
