Sky Atlantic HD to show HBO’s film the normal heart starring Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons and Julia Roberts, in a Ryan Murphy film
Sky Atlantic HD will show the UK premiere of THE NORMAL HEART, an HBO film starring Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right), Matt Bomer (White Collar), Taylor Kitsch (Lone Survivor), Emmy® winner Jim Parsons(The Big Bang Theory) and Academy Award® winner Julia Roberts. Directed by Emmy® winner Ryan Murphy (Glee) and written by Academy Award® nominee Larry Kramer (Women in Love) THE NORMAL HEART will air exclusively on Sky Atlantic HD this summer.
Adapting Kramer’s groundbreaking Tony Award-winning play of the same name, the drama tells the story of the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 1980s, taking an unflinching look at the nation’s sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fight to expose the truth about the burgeoning epidemic to a city and nation in denial.
The film also stars Alfred Molina (An Education), Tony Award winner Joe Mantello (Law & Order), Jonathan Groff (Looking), Denis O’Hare (True Blood), Stephen Spinella (Milk), Corey Stoll (House of Cards), Finn Wittrock (Unbroken) and BD Wong (Oz). An HBO Films presentation of a Plan B Entertainment and Blumhouse production in association with Ryan Murphy Productions, THE NORMAL HEART is executive produced by Ryan Murphy, Dante Di Loreto (Glee), Jason Blum (the Paranormal Activity series), Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Dede Gardner (12 Years a Slave). Mark Ruffalo co-executive produces; Scott Ferguson (Temple Grandin) produces.
Ruffalo stars as Ned Weeks, a Jewish-American writer and gay activist who witnesses first-hand a mysterious disease that has begun to claim the lives of many in his gay community and starts to seek answers. As we follow Ned’s journey we meet Emma Brookner (Roberts), a polio survivor who treats several of the early victims of HIV/AIDS and Ned's lover, Felix Turner (Bomer), a New York reporter.
Parsons plays gay activist Tommy Boatwright, reprising his role from the 2011 Broadway revival, and Kitsch portrays Bruce Niles, a closeted investment banker who becomes a prominent AIDS activist.
The talented behind-the-scenes team includes production designer Shane Valentino (Beginners), director of photography Danny Moder (Jesus Henry Christ), editor Adam Penn (American Horror Story), costumer designer Daniel Orlandi (Game Change), composer Cliff Martinez (Drive) and casting directors Amanda Mackey (The Proposal) and Cathy Sandrich Gelfond (Ronin).
THE NORMAL HEART will air exclusively on Sky Atlantic HD this summer. Sky Atlantic is also available to all Sky TV customers and through NOW TV with the NOW TV Entertainment Month Pass.
Notes to editor
For More Information please contact:
Charlotte Jordan
Junior Publicist, Sky Atlantic HD
T: +44 (0)20 7032 1496
charlotte.jordan@bskyb.com
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