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Helena Bonham Carter is set to play the stepmother of renowned food writer and chef Nigel Slater in Toast, a film based on his bestselling novel of the same name, with Freddie Highmore set to portray Slater as a 15-year-old boy, made by Ruby Films and Television for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One.

Jay Hunt, Controller, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One says : "Toast is a wonderfully nostalgic drama which will be a real treat for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One viewers. This remarkable cast is sure to really bring Nigel Slater's story alive."

Alison Owen, Executive Producer, Ruby Films says: "Freddie and Helena were our dream choices for Toast – we're so happy to bring the Ruby standards of quality casting to this wonderful coming of age story for a UK audience."

Toast is the ultimate nostalgia trip through everything edible in sixties Britain. Based on the heart-wrenching bitter-sweet story of food writer Nigel Slater's childhood, Toast is a delicious retrieval of the tastes and smells that a young boy associates with his journey into adulthood.

It has so far sold a quarter of a million copies. It was also the winner of six literary awards, including the National Book Awards British Biography of the Year.

Highmore is best known for his role in Tim Burton's Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and Bonham Carter has most recently starred in the visionary director's big screen adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland and ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Four's Enid.

Written by Billy Elliot scribe Lee Hall based on the autobiographical novel by Slater, Toast is set to shoot in June in the West Midlands.

Directed by SJ Clarkson, best known for her TV directing roles for Life On Mars, Mistresses and more recently Heroes.

Commissioned by Jay Hunt, Controller, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One and Ben Stephenson, Controller, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Drama Commissioning.

Toast is produced by Faye Ward at Ruby Films, and is funded by Screen West Midlands, Lipsync Post Production, Ruby Films and Television and the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.

Executive producers are Alison Owen, Paul Trijbits and Nicole Finnan and Jamie Laurenson at the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ. The Works is selling the film internationally as a feature film.

Ruby Films and Television most recently produced Small Island and, RTS Award winner, Five Minutes Of Heaven for the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.

It has also recently completed principal photography on Jane Eyre for Focus Features and ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Films. Directed by, Sin Nombre director, Cary Fukunaga, and starring Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), Michael Fassbender (Fishtank, Inglorious Basterds), Jamie Bell, Imogen Poots and Dame Judi Dench.

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Information for viewers

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