Jonathan Bailey and Bill Nighy are set to lead Insomniac City, an upcoming feature film from director Dominic Cooke that explores grief, unexpected love and the possibility of starting over. The project brings together the Bridgerton and Wicked star with the acclaimed actor known for Love, Actually and About Time.

Bailey will portray writer and photographer Bill Hayes, while Nighy is set to play celebrated neurologist Oliver Sacks. The film is adapted from Hayes’ 2017 memoir of the same name, which recounts his relationship with Sacks and his experience of finding love during a difficult period in his life.

The story begins with Hayes arriving in New York City from San Francisco following a devastating personal loss. As he tries to rebuild his life, he gradually develops an unexpected connection with the city itself and falls in love with Sacks, whose influential writing and groundbreaking work in neurology made him one of modern medicine’s most distinctive figures.

Cooke, whose previous directing credits include On Chesil Beach, will helm the adaptation. Hayes is also co-writing the screenplay with Cooke, bringing his own memoir to the big screen.

The film is being produced by Troy Lum and Andrew Mason for UK-Australian production company Brouhaha Entertainment, alongside Bailey, Mike Goodridge and Gabrielle Tana. Will Clarke, Andy Mason and Mike Runagall will serve as executive producers through Altitude.

Altitude is handling worldwide sales and is scheduled to introduce the project to potential buyers at the American Film Market (AFM).

The filmmakers describe Insomniac City as an intimate yet uplifting portrait of grief, hope, community and second chances. Set against the energetic backdrop of New York, the story explores how meaningful connections can emerge when people least expect them.

Cooke expressed his enthusiasm for the project, describing it as a rare story that feels both deeply personal and expansive in scope. He emphasized its celebration of second chances and the unexpected ways people can find one another at pivotal moments in their lives.

He also called the film a love letter to New York City, highlighting the city’s possibilities for reinvention and human connection. For Cooke, Hayes’ memoir captures the fragile beauty of love in the face of mortality, making it a story he feels honored to bring to the screen with Bailey, Nighy and the production team.

Sacks was widely recognized for making complex neurological conditions accessible through his writing. The New York Times once described him as the poet laureate of contemporary medicine. His best-known books include The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Awakenings, the latter of which inspired the Academy Award-nominated film starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro.

With Bailey and Nighy taking on the central roles, Insomniac City brings together two acclaimed performers for a story rooted in real lives, personal loss and an unexpected romance. Its journey to the screen will offer audiences a chance to discover the deeply human relationship at the heart of Hayes’ memoir.

Source: Compiled from various sources