Odds & Ends: The Phantom Of The Open, Starring Mark Rylance, Sets Release Date

Here's a quick roundup of stories you might have missed.

The Phantom Of The Open Hits Theaters June 3
Three-time Tony winner Mark Rylance is heading back to the big screen. As previously announced, the Oscar and Tony winner stars in the golf comedy The Phantom of the Open. Deadline reports the movie is scheduled for release in New York and Los Angeles on June 3, with a wider release in additional markets set for the following weeks. Based on the book of the same name by Simon Farnaby and Scott Murray and directed by Craig Roberts, the film features Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft, a dreamer and unrelenting optimist, who managed to gain entry to the British Open Golf Championship by qualifying in 1976 and subsequently shot the worst round in Open history, becoming a folk hero in the process. The Phantom of the Open also stars Sally Hawkins and Rhys Ifans.

Billy Porter to Direct Episode of Accused
Billy Porter is heading back to the director's chair. After helming The Life at Encores!, Variety reports that the Tony and Emmy winner will direct an episode of Fox’s anthology drama series Accused. The episode tells the story of "a drag queen’s whirlwind affair that leads to devastating consequences." Based on the BBC series of the same name, Accused begins in a courtroom, with viewers having no knowledge of what the defendant is accused of or why they are there. Each episode features a different cast, exploring each defendant’s point of view through flashbacks as viewers learn how they ended up on trial.

The Drifters Girl to Release Cast Album This May
The Olivier-nominated musical The Drifters Girl will release a cast recording on May 6. Recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, the album features the original cast of the show, including Beverley Knight, Adam J. Bernard, Tarinn Callender, Matt Henry, Tosh Wanogho-Maud, Clyde Mcphatter, Ben E. King, Rudy Lewis and Johnny Moore. The album is now available for pre-order. The Drifters Girl, which tells the story of Faye Treadwell, the legendary manager of The Drifters, recently extended its run at Garrick Theatre in London to February 12, 2023.

London's My Fair Lady Completes Casting
Loverly news! The full cast has been revealed for the previously announced production of My Fair Lady at the London Coliseum. BAFTA winner Stephen K. Amos will play the role of Alfred P. Doolittle, and Olivier Award nominee Malcolm Sinclair will play the role of Colonel Pickering. They join Amara Okereke as Eliza Doolittle, Harry Hadden-Paton, who reprises his Tony-nominated performance as Henry Higgins, Vanessa Redgrave as Mrs. Higgins, Maureen Beattie as Mrs. Pearce and Sharif Afifi as Freddy Eynsford-Hill. Directed by Bartlett Sher, who helmed the Broadway revival, the company also includes Dammi Aregbeshola, Bernadette Bangura, Joseph Claus, Jordan Crouch, Jamie Cruttenden, Francessca Daniella-Baker, Barry Drummond, Bethany Huckle, Heather Jackson, Emma Johnson, Charlotte Kennedy, Sinead Kenny, Jenny Legg, Tom Liggins, Rebekah Lowings, Carl Patrick, Tom Ping, Dominique Planter, Joseph Poulton, John Stacey, Joshua Steel, Oliver Tester, Adam Vaughan, Annie Wensak and Paul Westwood.