‘Breathe’ European premiere at 61st BFI London Film Festival
Andy Serkis’s directorial debut Breathe will receive its European premiere this October as it opens the 61st BFI London Film Festival.
Breathe tells the heart-warming and highly emotional true story of Robin Cavendish. Struck down in the prime of his life by the crippling polio virus, he manages to beat all odds, spurred on by the devotion and witty determination of his wife Diana.
The European premiere for the drama, dubbed as the hugely impressive debut feature from Serkis, is set to be held at the Odeon Leicester Square cinema in London on October 4. Andy Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) will be in attendance, alongside leading stars Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) and Claire Foy (Season of the Witch).
BFI London has announced a live cinecast of the event will take place, with producer Jonathan Cavendish, the son of Robin and Diana, also expected to make an appearance.
On behalf of the cast and crew of Breathe, we are absolutely thrilled and deeply honoured to be the Opening Gala performance in this year’s incredibly richly diverse and world-class BFI London Film Festival. Breathe is a deeply personal story to all of us at The Imaginarium and to have the European premiere of my directorial debut in London, my hometown, is beyond my wildest dreams, commented Serkis.
Directed by the famed motion-capture specialist, the screenplay was written by Serkis in collaboration with Academy Award-nominated screenwriter William Nicholson (Everest, Les Misérables, Gladiator).
Breathe is not only an inspirational love story, it is also a film about two truly indomitable spirits who defy the odds and the skeptics to pave the way for change, added Clare Stewart, BFI London Film Festival Director.
The drama was funded by Silver Reel, BBC Films, and the BFI, with funds from the National Lottery brokered by Embankment Films. Jonathan Cavendish served as producer for The Imaginarium Studios.
Garfield and Foy star in the lead, with Hugh Bonneville (The Monuments Men), Tom Hollander (About Time), Stephen Mangan (Rush), and Diana Rigg (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) rounding out the ensemble’s supporting cast.
The 61st BFI London Film Festival will run from October 4th – October 15th, 2017, with screenings set to take place throughout London. The full program for this year’s festival is expected to be announced in August, the organizers have confirmed.
Breathe is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on October 27, 2017; see the trailer here.
Release Information
The world premiere took place at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2017. The UK and Ireland theatrical release followed on October 27, 2017, while the United States opened on October 13, 2017 through Bleecker Street. These dates replaced the initial festival schedule that had been announced months earlier.
Cast and Crew
Additional performers joined the ensemble beyond the headliners already listed. Ed Speleers and Dean-Charles Chapman appear in supporting roles that flesh out the Cavendish family circle and medical community. Their presence rounds out the ensemble without shifting the central focus from Garfield and Foy.
Critical Reception and Legacy
After its festival run and commercial release, Breathe landed at 67 percent on Rotten Tomatoes from 166 reviews. Metacritic recorded a more mixed aggregate of 51 out of 100. Critics praised Garfield and Foy for grounding the central relationship, and several noted Serkis’s confident handling of period detail and emotional tone. Others felt the picture leaned heavily on sentiment, an observation that tempered the overall score but did not erase the appreciation for its performances.
Box Office and Commercial Performance
Worldwide earnings reached roughly 5.13 million dollars. Domestic receipts accounted for approximately 490,000 dollars of that total. The modest numbers reflected limited theatrical distribution rather than outright rejection, especially for a prestige drama that opened in select markets and leaned on word of mouth and later home viewing.
Current Availability and Streaming
The film remains accessible on Netflix and additional digital platforms. Viewers who missed the 2017 theatrical window can now stream the picture without needing physical media or special screenings. The transition from festival red carpet to subscription library illustrates how many mid-budget dramas find longer life once they leave cinemas.
Andy Serkis Directing Career After Breathe
Breathe marked Serkis’s first turn behind the camera on a feature. Since then he has continued to develop projects that blend performance technology with classical storytelling. The experience of guiding a period drama from script stage through international festivals gave him a practical foundation for later work that mixes studio resources with independent sensibilities.
The film’s path from Toronto world premiere to London European bow and eventual streaming placement shows how a single project can travel through multiple distribution eras. Its modest box office did not halt the careers of its principals; Garfield and Foy moved on to further awards attention, while Serkis expanded his directing slate. For audiences today, Breathe sits as a compact, fact-based drama that still rewards a watch whenever the mood calls for an intimate story of resilience and partnership.
