Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding to star in Emma Thompson's Last Christmas film
The festive movie was conceived by Thompson with late singer George Michael
Emilia Clarke — best known for playing a dragon-riding Khaleesi in Game of Thrones — is set to star in Universal's festive film Last Christmas, which George Michael collaborated on prior to his death in 2016.
The holiday romance, penned by Oscar winner Emma Thompson and Bryony Kimmings, will be set in London, and was inspired by the George Michael song.
Bridesmaids director Paul Feig is attached to helm the project, while Crazy Rich Asians' Henry Golding will co-star alongside Clarke, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
- George Michael was involved in the early stages of Emma Thompson's new film Last Christmas, says writer Bryony Kimmings
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In an interview with RadioTimes.com, Thompson's co-writer Bryony Kimmings, who penned the first draft of the screenplay back in January, said the film was "based on the song, Last Christmas" and that the idea for the project came from Thompson, George Michael and Thompson's husband Greg Wise.
"When I came on board, George was up for it, he’d already signed something to say yes, but he’d passed away," Kimmings explained, "and Greg and Emma were still very keen to write it."
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Kimmings also revealed that she'd been inspired by Michael's gay rights advocacy while writing the first draft of the script.
"[When] I wrote my draft, I tried to slip in some trans people and make sure there was queer politics in there," Kimmings told RadioTimes.com. "I don’t know how much of that remains!"
Michael's hit 1984 song Last Christmas, a staple of the festive season, deals with themes of unrequited and lost love.
