The Borrowers - Press Release

Stephen Fry, Victoria Wood, Christopher Eccleston, Sharon Horgan, Robert Sheehan and Aisling Loftus star in The Borrowers for BBC One this Christmas.

Written by Ben Vanstone and produced by Working Title Television, the 90-minute film is a modern adaptation of Mary Norton’s classic children’s books that brings the world of the tiny Borrowers who live under our floorboards into the twenty-first century.

Aisling Loftus plays Arrietty Clock, a head-strong teenage Borrower who is desperate to explore life outside her hidden family home. Her parents, Pod and Homily Clock – played by Christopher Eccleston and Sharon Horgan - are terrified of the world of the ‘Human Beans’ and are fiercely protective of their daughter. Arrietty sneaks upstairs one night and befriends James, a lonely boy who lives above her in the house with his father, played by Shaun Dooley and Grandmother, played by Victoria Wood. This leads to a world of trouble when James unwittingly reveals the borrowers’ home to his formidable Grandmother, and the Clocks are forced to venture into the wide world…

Grandma Driver knows the ‘little people’ exist, she’s always known, and is determined to hunt them out of her house. Stephen Fry plays scientist Professor Mildeye who also knows of the existence of the ‘little people’. Determined to restore his reputation and resurrect his academic career, he’ll go to any lengths to capture them and reveal them to the world.

Robbie Sheehan plays Spiller, a leather jacketed tearaway who takes quite a shine to Arrietty. She’s not quite sure what to make of this, but when her parents are captured by the scheming Professor Mildeye, she is forced to enlist both Spiller’s and 'human bean' James’ help. They go on a series of daring adventures to try and outsmart Mildeye and return the Clock family to their former home in time for Christmas.

The Borrowers was commissioned by Ben Stephenson, Controller of BBC Drama Commissioning and Danny Cohen, Controller BBC One. The Executive Producers are Juliette Howell, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner for Working Title Television and Polly Hill for the BBC. The Producer is Radford Neville and the film is directed by Tom Harper (Misfits, This is England).

Source: BBC