David Tennant is the star in a biopic of renowned Scottish psychiatrist R.D.Laing - the ‘Acid-Marxist.’
The movie is called Mad To Be Normal and is a UK / Germany co-production which features the story of Laing and his unique community at Kingsley Hall in East London during the 1960’s. Originally Mad To Be Normal was going to be called Metanoia.
Shooting on Mad To Be Normal started on Monday 1st February 2016 and concluded on Tuesday 1st March. Most of the filming was on location in Yorkshire with two days in London.
The quote from David Tennant about the production before filming was "I have long been fascinated by the life and work of RD Laing.
This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and discover this important man and I am honoured and thrilled to be involved in telling this story.
Robert Mullan’s passion for the subject is inspiring and the presence of the brilliant Elisabeth Moss makes this something I cannot wait to start work on."
London-based Gizmo Films produced the movie in collaboration with Bad Penny Productions which was the production company led by Phin Glynn. Peter Dunphy was the executive producer and the producers were Phin Glynn, Charlotte Arden and Alan Latham. This was the fourth feature for Gizmo Films writer and director Robert Mullan who is also the author of three books about Laing.
As well as David Tennant, Mad To Be Normal stars Elisabeth Moss, Gabriel Byrne, Michael Gambon and David Bamber.
In the 1960’s and 70’s R.D. Laing’s books regularly topped the student best-seller lists in the US. He shared the same stage as bands like the Grateful Dead and was never far away from controversy. The psychiatric establishment regularly tried to close his community at Kingsley Hall, seeing his occasional therapeutic use of LSD and his belief in metanoia (self-healing) as irresponsible and unscientific.
Mad To Be Normal had a limited release in the UK from Thursday 6th April 2017 which followed an exclusive one week run in cinemas in Glasgow from Thursday 23rd March. It was also screened in Russia and at a few film festivals in the US. The movie had a digital release in the US on Friday 16th February and on DVD on Tuesday 20th February.
It had a digital release in the UK on Monday 13th August 2018 but no DVD released has been announced yet.
The production company said in December 2017 that they were negotiating a UK television deal for 'early 2018.'
2018 Amazon in the US has a link to purchase Mad To Be Normal on DVD which plays in the UK and Europe.
This link was tweeted by the movie's writer Robert Mullan. Updated 15/10
Tonight Mad To Be Normal has its first screening at Reel Abilities Film Festival tonight in New York. The movie will be screened at Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan at 9pm. Updated 10/3
Tonight Mad To Be Normal is the opening film in the 2018 Mostly British Film Festival in San Francisco. The screening is sold out. Updated 15/2
The release date of the DVD of Mad To Be Normal in the US has been changed from Tuesday 13th March to Tuesday 20th February. Updated 13/2
Tickets are now available to watch Mad To Be Normal at the Reel Abilities Film Festival in New York.
The movie will be screened first on Saturday 10th March at Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan at 9pm and on Monday 12th March at NY Public Library, 67th St Library at 3pm.
It will also screen on Friday 9th March at York College Little Theater at 1pm and on Sunday 11th March at Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers at 2pm. Updated 12/2
Tonight Mad To Be Normal is the closing night movie for the Oxford Film Festival in Mississippi. More details are at this link. Updated 11/2
Mad To be Normal to screen at a film festival in New York City.
The movie will screen at the 10th annual ReelAbilities Film Festival in New York. The date(s) of the screening(s) will be announced on Monday when tickets will also go on sale.
The ReelAbilities Film Festival runs from Thursday 8th March until Wednesday 14th March. Updated 9/2
Mad To Be Normal will be the closing night movie for the Oxford Film Festival in Mississippi on Sunday 11th February.
More details are at this link. Updated 8/1
An update from Mad To Be Normal on the movie has been posted to Facebook. They said they are negotiating a UK television deal for early 2018 and also a US theatrical (cinema) and home entertainment deal which will also have a Q1 2018 delivery. Updated 5/12
EventBrite is the link to purchase tickets for the Canadian premiere of Mad To Be Normal on Friday 3rd November. Updated 7/10
The Canadian premiere of Mad To Be Normal will be at the Rendezvous With Madness Film Festival on Friday 3rd November.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow. Updated 5/10
September 2017 Deadline confirms that Mad To Be Normal will be released in the US. Updated 19/9
Unfortunately Mad To Be Normal didn't win the Best Feature Film Award at the Shanghai International Film Festival as Pauwi Na (Pedicab) won. Updated 25/6
May 2017
Gizmo Films tweeted today that they hope Mad To Be Normal will become available on VOD this summer so fans outside UK will be able to watch it too. Updated 23/5
The Cannes Film Festival opens today. Three David Tennant movies are included.
Although he won't attend himself, David Tennant's movies Mad To Be Normal, You, Me And Him and Bad Samaritan are all involved in the film market part of the festival which is designed to promote movies to new markets and is only for people within the industry. Updated 17/5
The Guardian gives Mad To Be Normal 4 stars in a review with the sub-title 'David Tennant gives a brilliant performance as RD Laing, the radical psychiatrist who rewrote the rules on mental health treatment. Updated 7/4
The Express awards Mad To Be Normal 4 stars and concludes its review with 'However, Tennant is so commanding you can’t tear your eyes away from him. It’s the kind of performance that deserves to be remembered come awards season in a film that will revive interest in the life and work of Laing.' Updated 7/4
Mad To Be Normal will be shown at Newport Beach Film Festival in California. The festival runs from Thursday 20th to Thursday 27th April. Updated 16/3
Some nationwide screenings have been announced for Mad To Be Normal. A new website has been set up and a poster has been added to Twitter. Updated 15/3
A clever David Tennant/RD Laing gif has been posted to Twitter. Updated 1/3
David Tennant to be a guest on The One Show tomorrow (Thursday).
This appearance is to promote Broadchurch Series Three (which premiered on ITV on Monday), Don Juan In Soho (which opens on 17th March) and Mad To Be Normal (which had its premiere last Sunday). Updated 1/3
The National has a review of Mad To Be Normal which describes it as an 'excellent showcase for Tennant’s inimitable, charismatic screen presence.' Updated 27/2
The List only gives Mad To Be Normal 2 stars but reports 'The plus here is Tennant.' Updated 27/2
ScreenDaily has the first review of Mad To Be Normal.
It includes the phrases 'David Tenant turns in a memorable performance' and 'The film’s main asset is Tennant; his Laing is both commanding and nurturing, provocative and playful.' Updated 27/2
David Tennant's forthcoming movie Mad To Be Normal will be reviewed on The Janice Forsyth Show today on BBC Radio Scotland today. Updated 23/2
Mad To Be Normal director tells Oxford Times how David Tennant helped bring in Elizabeth Moss, Michael Gambon and Gabriel Byrne to the movie. Updated 21/2
Details of screenings of Mad To Be Normal in Inverness from Friday 7th to Thursday 13th April have been posted to Twitter. Updated 14/2
Details and tickets on sale for the preview screenings of Mad To Be Normal in Glasgow in March.
The 23 screenings at the Glasgow Film Theatre will be between Friday 24th and Thursday 30th.
The screening on Sunday 26th March at 4.20pm will be followed by a panel discussion which will be moderated by Dr. Peter Byrne of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Mental Health Foundation. (Please note David Tennant will not attend this panel.) Updated 13/2
October 2016
Mad To Be Normal have posted that the movie is now being screened to distributors in the UK and US including at the upcoming American Film Market in Santa Monica California. They will also be taking the film to the Berlinale - Berlin International Film Festival. Investors have already been invited to private screenings and they say that the 'response has been excellent.' Updated 26/10
Last night there was a screening for investors of Mad To Be Normal at The Hospital Club in London. No release date has been announced yet for the movie. Updated 20/10
February 2016
A new photo of David Tennant from Mad To Be Normal has been posted to Twitter, plus an interview with the movie's producer Phin Glynn is on a blog where he mentions David. Updated 22/2
A new photo of David Tennant filming Mad To Be Normal has been posted to Twitter. Updated 21/2
A new photo of David Tennant on the set of Mad To Be Normal has been posted to Twitter. Updated 19/2
Another new photo of David Tennant as R.D. Laing in Mad To Be Normal has been posted to Twitter. Updated 12/2
Four more photos of David Tennant from Mad To Be Normal have been posted to Tumblr. Updated 11/2
Another photo of David Tennant from Mad To Be Normal has been posted to Twitter. Updated 11/2
The first official photo of David Tennant as R.D. Laing in Mad To Be Normal has been posted to Twitter. Updated 10/2
York Press have posted a video of David Tennant on the set of Mad To Be Normal in Walmgate, York today.
A screencap of David from the video was posted to Twitter.
The article reported that about 20 extras wearing 1960s clothing were also seen in the street, forming a queue to enter Stone Trough Books, before being ushered inside to film a scene where Laing is signing copies of his book.
The quote from Phin Glynn (one of the producers) was "We're filming in York for about four weeks and we're on day two now. This week is a big week as we're shooting some of the heaviest days." Updated 2/2
The first photo of David Tennant on the set of Mad To Be Normal yesterday has been posted to Twitter. Updated 2/2
September 2015 ScreenDaily reports that Metanoia starts filming in January 2016. (Previously only the first quarter of the year was announced.) Updated 12/9
May 2015 The Scotsman has more details about David Tennant's new movie Metanoia. Updated 15/5
David Tennant will star in the movie Metanoia.
It is a biopic of Scottish psychiatrist R.D. Laing who was known as the ‘Acid-Marxist.’
Shooting is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2016 in Cologne and on location in London. Updated 15/5
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