Jonathan Bailey and Bill Nighy to Star in Insomniac City

Jonathan Bailey and Bill Nighy will star in Insomniac City, a film adaptation of Bill Hayes’s memoir about his relationship with neurologist Oliver Sacks. Bailey will play Hayes, while Nighy will portray Sacks, in a film directed by Dominic Cooke.

The project is based on Hayes’s 2017 memoir. Its story follows Hayes’s move from San Francisco to New York after the death of his longtime partner. As he rebuilds his life, he falls in love with Sacks and with the city, according to the project description.

Cooke co-wrote the screenplay with Hayes. The film’s announcement describes the relationship as one that transformed both men’s lives during Sacks’s final years. Production dates and a release schedule have not been announced in the reports.

Altitude is handling worldwide sales and plans to present the project to international buyers at the American Film Market. The casting announcement was made ahead of the market, which is taking place in Los Angeles.

The film is being produced by Troy Lum and Andrew Mason for Brouhaha Entertainment, alongside Bailey, Mike Goodridge and Gabrielle Tana. Will Clarke, Andy Mayson and Mike Runagall are executive producers for Altitude.