Mike Leigh to Retire After 'Tender Loving Care' Due to Illness
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- Mike Leigh said at a Golden Globes-hosted roundtable in London that his next film, "Tender Loving Care," will "absolutely" and "very likely" be his last, with plot details unknown but described as "an insightful exploration of the contemporary world"
- The 83-year-old Leigh attributed his retirement to myositis, an immune-system disease causing chronic muscle inflammation, saying another film would be "very difficult" and "not going to be possible"
- "Tender Loving Care" is a comedy drama starring Leigh's longtime collaborator Marion Bailey and "Widow's Bay" breakout Kate O'Flynn, with a world premiere predicted at the Telluride Film Festival and a Canadian premiere at Toronto this fall
- Leigh needed friends' help to stand up at the event and added that staging a play would be even more physically demanding than making a film, because "on a film you can be moved around"
- Hard Truths, Leigh's previous film starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste, was a critical hit and marked his final collaboration with cinematographer Dick Pope, who died in October 2024
Why it matters: At 83, Mike Leigh's exit is dictated by myositis rather than creative choice, with Telluride and Toronto giving his final film the full festival treatment. Cinematographer Dick Pope died in October 2024, meaning Leigh's last collaboration with his most trusted visual partner is already permanently sealed.
