Posted in: Movies, Warner Bros | Tagged: catherine tate, Josie rourke, The Nan Movie

Is Catherine Tate's New Film The Nan Missing a Director Credit?

UPDATE: It is confirmed, The Nan Movie has no credited director. The original article continues below:

The Nan Movie was filmed in 2019 for a 2020 release before pandemic lockdowns hit, starring Catherine Tate and the character of Nan she created for her TV show, along with her co-star from the series of sketches, Mathew Horne. The film, written by Tate and Ted Lasso's Brett Goldstein, is finally scheduled for release tomorrow. Catherine Tate has been doing the UK chat show circuit such as The One Show and Loose Women, appearing in character. Warner Bros. PR representatives have informed Bleeding Cool that there are no press previews for the film; there was a screening a couple of days ago, but the press was not invited. If you want to review the film, you have to buy a ticket after the movie is released, like anyone else. This is, traditionally, not considered an optimistic omen.

Bleeding Cool has also noted that the trailer was finally released just two weeks ago (below), and the accompanying released low res poster (above) is missing a very important credit, that of the movie's director, Josie Rourke. Best known as a director for the stage, including stints as Artistic Director of London's Bush Theatre and the Donmar Warehouse, Rourke directed the Oscar-nominated movie Mary Queen Of Scots in 2018. Credited as the director of The Nan Movie in all previous publicity, Rourke has not posted anything on her social media regarding the film. And now, it seems, her name is not on the movie poster and trailer credits as director, just one of the executive producers. In its place is the legend "A Catherine Tate Film". Not even an "Alan Smithee" replacement.

Sometimes, when a director's name is missing or replaced by a fake name, it is a sign that there were creative disagreements within the production, to the extent that the director does not wish their name to be associated with the final project. Classic examples are Jud Taylor on Fade In, Don Siegel on Death of A Gunfighter, Walter Hill on Supernova, and the most ironic, Arthur Hiller on Burn Hollywood Burn An Alan Smithee Film, as well as a number of movies when edited for television or airlines, such as Dune, Heat, Scent Of A Woman and Meet Joe Black. It is always the director's choice, as the studio is legally contracted to credit the director unless they wish otherwise. It does get more complicated with multiple directors on a project [for example, like Joss Whedon and Zack Snyder on the theatrical cut of Justice League]. 

We haven't seen the film yet – indeed, no one has – but on the basis of this evidence, it does appear that something could have happened during some stage of production. At this stage, Warner Bros. is relying on people's fondness for the character and the performer to get them to see a movie on opening weekend without reviews or a supportive director to get them there. Bleeding Cool reached out multiple times to representatives of both Warner Bros. and to Josie Rourke about the matter earlier in the week, but we received no response.

Joan Taylor is a fictional character in The Catherine Tate Show on the BBC, created by Derren Litten and Catherine Tate in 2004, referred to mainly as Nan. An obnoxious cockney woman in her seventies or eighties who frequently swears at and criticises other people, she is often visited by her well-mannered grandson. One of Catherine Tate's most popular characters, she spun off into her own BBC show, and now her own film. The Nan Movie is in British and Irish cinemas from this Friday. Obviously, I am going to have to buy a ticket now…

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