Captain Tom Moore signs seven-figure film deal – and he wants Michael Caine to play him
CAPTAIN Tom Moore has signed a seven- figure film deal — and wants Michael Caine to play him on screen.
A blockbuster based on his incredible life story could also see him enjoying Oscars success.
Talks are already under way with a string of A-list stars to play the centenarian.
But World War Two veteran Captain Tom, who raised nearly £33million for the NHS walking 100 laps of his garden in lockdown, reckons Italian Job star Sir Michael Caine, 87, is best.
He declared: “I don’t know of any 100-year-old actors but I’m sure Michael Caine or Anthony Hopkins could do a wonderful job if they were prepared to age up.”
Brit film-maker Nick Moorcroft, 41, won an international bidding war for the screen rights to Capt Tom’s life story.
And he has promised that he will have a small role in the movie, which is now being rushed into production.
He told The Sun: “Capt Tom Moore will absolutely have a cameo — he gets his trailer, he gets his make-up artist and he gets to walk on set.”
Capt Tom chose Fred Films and Powder Keg Pictures to sell his highly sought-after story because of their successful work on previous popular movies Fisherman’s Friends and Finding Your Feet — which both focused on older people.
Moorcroft is currently writing the movie with Meg Leonard, who is also a producer on the film.
They will be aided by Capt Tom and his daughter Hannah, who will give their input throughout.
He explained: “We are working side by side with them, spending a lot of time getting to know each other.
“This isn’t a group of producers who’ve come in and just managed to obtain some rights.
“This is about telling his story as authentic as it can be and making sure we protect his voice and message because it’s a strong and important one.
"In a celebrity-obsessed world there are very few great role models and Capt Tom is truly a great role model.
“He’s a man with 100 years of wisdom and he’s earned the right to say, ‘Tomorrow will be a better day’.
“We should look more to the older generations in this time and take the time to listen and learn from generations of experience more than us. That’s what Capt Tom represents.”
The film is being fast-tracked into production, with the goal of a world premiere attended by Capt Tom next Christmas. Moorcroft added yesterday: “I don’t think anything is going to stop Capt Tom.
";With this guy’s level of endurance and stamina, he’ll be there. We’re fast-tracking it not because of who we want on the red carpet, we’re fast- tracking it because we’re so desperate for people to see it.”
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Capt Tom, who launched his autobiography last week, was knighted by the Queen earlier this year. He also had a No1 single with Michael Ball with You’ll Never Walk Alone.
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He had set out to raise £1,000 with 100 laps of his garden in Marston Montaine, Bedfordshire.
Captain Sir Tom was born in Keighley, West Yorkshire. During the war he served in India and Burma and later was managing director at a concrete firm.
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