Dan Ireland to direct Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont

Out filmmaker Dan Ireland (The Whole Wide World, The Velocity of Gary) is set to direct Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, an indie comedy-drama based on the novel by British author Elizabeth Taylor. The project centers on an elderly woman whose family persuades her to move to a London retirement hotel. After weeks without any visits from them, the woman befriends a struggling young writer who conspires with her to act as her grandson. The two wind up becoming good friends. The novel was set in the 1950s, but the film will be set in the present day. "This is the best project to come my way since The Whole Wide World," Ireland said. "Like Harold and Maude or Driving Miss Daisy, it's one of those big 'little' films about unlikely friendships that resonate in your heart and soul." The filmmakers are planning a September start in London.