Bill Nighy and Jonathan Bailey confirmed for "intimate" romantic drama

Bill Nighy and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey are confirmed to star in the film adaptation of Bill Hayes' 2017 memoir Insomniac City.

The film, helmed by Dominic Cooke, follows the life of Hayes as he moves to New York from San Francisco after the death of his partner of sixteen years. There, he embarks on a romantic relationship with neurologist Oliver Sacks.

Bailey will play Bill Hayes in the upcoming film, while Nighy will take on the role of Sacks.

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Cooke, who co-wrote the script with Hayes, described the movie (via Deadline) as "an intimate and uplifting portrait of grief, hope, community and second chances, and of the remarkable possibility of finding love when it is least expected."

He continued: "It is also a love letter to New York City itself, a place of endless possibility, reinvention and connection.

"Bill Hayes’ memoir captures the fragile beauty of love in the face of mortality, and I am honoured to bring that story to the screen alongside our extraordinary actors, Jonathan Bailey, Bill Nighy and our producing team."

Oliver Sacks, who is 30 years Bill Hayes' senior, had kept his sexuality a secret for the most part of his adult life, and largely remained celibate until he met Bill.

Sacks is described as "one of the most distinctive voices in modern medicine", having authored highly influential works including The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat and Awakenings.

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Back in October, Digital Spy obtained pictures of Bailey's latest film Pumping Black, which also stars Natalie Portman.

Written by Haley Hope Bartels, the film has been described as "adrenaline-fuelled, dangerous thriller" and is set in the cutthroat and ruthless world of cycling. Bailey plays Taylor Mace who is a professional cyclist who is nearing the end of his career but is not ready to bow out gracefully.

Meanwhile, Nighy was recently confirmed to voice the English-language version of the animated film The Last Dino, which will see him reunite with Maisie Williams following this year's 500 Miles.

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