James Norton On Being The “Small Hero” In Psychological Thriller ‘Playing Nice’, Growing His Indie Label Rabbit Track, And Moving Behind The Camera: “That’s Definitely In The Plan”

EXCLUSIVE: In Playing Nice James Norton stars as Pete, a doting dad who finds out his son was switched at birth, giving him a different kind of hero to portray. “He’s a kind of small hero,” Norton told Deadline. “Unlike most of the characters I’ve played, he’s very likable, very amenable and recognizable. There’s a simplicity to him, which I hadn’t really played before, and a likability and quietness that made him feel very real.”

The adaptation of the JP Delaney novel is produced by Studiocanal and Rabbit Track Pictures, the indie Norton set up with Kitty Kaletsky in 2019. It will bow on ITV in the UK and play on Canal+ in France. Studiocanal is handling international sales and will launch the series internationally this week in Cannes at MIPTV.

The baby-switch at the center of the story sets up an horrific dilemma for both sets of parents – whether to keep the sons they have raised or reclaim their biological child. The drama is heightened when hidden motives begin to reveal themselves. Niamh Algar stars opposite Norton as Pete’s partner Maddie. The other couple, Miles and Lucy, are played by James McArdle and Jessica Brown Findlay.

The series is set in Cornwall, England, although the central quandary is relatable irrespective of geography. “We could just as easily be in a coastal New England town, or Monterey on the West Coast, or somewhere beautiful in Australia,” said Studiocanal Director of Development Isobel Carter.

The cast and crew decamped to the county in the southwest of England – but had to work fast. “It is busy there in summer and can be difficult weather-wise in winter, so we had a very short window from October to Christmas, to capture the beauty of the place” explained exec producer Kate Crowe.

The baby mix-up conceit piqued production and distribution giant Studiocanal’s interest, said the company’s SVP, Production and Development Joe Naftalin. “We’re always looking for great stories that can be told here in the UK and in Europe but that speak a global language. It just felt that there was a great universal hook at the center of this, and within that, four great roles for four brilliant actors.”

Rabbit Track Films: Leaps And Bounds

When he speaks to Deadline, Norton has been working on family thriller Playing Nice and period epic King and Conquerorwhich he has been shooting in Iceland. The actor and indie boss is determined to mix it up: “If you start to repeat the same thing it becomes less interesting, we stop growing as creatives and also as a company. I think it’s been amazing to jump from Cornwall in this beautiful expansive family and psychological drama, to a period drama set in medieval England with a cast four times the size.”

He added that setting up Rabbit Track and exec producing its projects has given him a new perspective on the business. “I have huge newfound respect for people… everyone who stands two, three years back, before we even get to that first day of principal photography, I see and appreciate the incredible work,” he said. “The amount of time and emotional investment people put into [crafting] a monologue or a scene, these decisions are huge. And then actors come on set and might just decide that ‘I think I might say this a bit differently.’ Now, I think, oh my god, do you not realize the amount of work which has been put into this?”

Is the next logical step moving behind the camera and sitting the director’s chair? “That’s definitely in the plan. After King And Conquer wraps, it’s a moment to take stock and look at our slate and what we have in development. Part of the next chapter of the company is that I would like to get behind the camera in more than just a producorial way.”

With Playing NiceNetflix movie Rogue Agentand King and ConquerorRabbit Track has a trio of projects under its belt. Banijay bought into the company last year and there is another as yet unannounced TV project with Studiocanal, one with the BBC, as well as features with Film 4 and the BFI and scripted development work in at Fifth Season and Sony.

“People might assume everything on our slate is James led, but it isn’t,” says Kaletsky. “He has been in more of our projects upfront, for obvious reasons – both because the roles suited him and because if you have James Norton attached to your project, the green lights come faster. But as we’ve established ourselves, and now have a few proofs of concept, there’s lots more that he’s not in.”