Toby Jones lines up reunion from beloved BBC sitcom for new real-life drama

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Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook, who previously starred together in Detectorists, are teaming up again for a new movie. Crook will direct the film, titled Mars Express, which will mark his first time directing a feature film, and Jones will play the main role.

Crook and Jones previously collaborated on the popular BBC comedy Detectorists. Crook not only wrote and created the show, but also starred in it as Andy Stone, alongside Jones as Lance Stater.

This popular British comedy, which won awards, ran on BBC Four from 2014 to 2022. It’s about two best friends who search for treasure in the countryside around Danebury, hoping to improve their luck and find some wealth.

Good news for fans of the show: the popular pair are teaming up once more to share the real story of Colin and Judith Pillinger, who searched for life on Mars in the late 1990s (according to Screen Daily).

Okay, so I just heard about this show, Mars Express, and it sounds wild! It’s about a regular English couple – farmers, no less – who somehow decided to build a spaceship! They had zero experience, but they teamed up with a bunch of quirky people and basically went up against NASA. Seriously, it’s a total underdog story and I’m already hooked.

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Joe Bone wrote the screenplay, adapting it from Colin Pillinger’s book, My Life On Mars: The Beagle 2 Diaries.

Big Talk Studios, Altitude, and BBC Film will produce the movie, which is scheduled to begin filming in the UK later this year.

People who enjoy Jones’ work can now watch a filmed version of his recent stage performance in Shakespeare’s Othello. The play, which was performed at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London’s West End, is now available to watch at home.

Tom Morris directed this stage production, featuring music by PJ Harvey. The cast includes Jude Law as Iago, David Harewood as Othello, and Caitlin FitzGerald as Desdemona.

Othello has earned widespread respect and achieved great success in his career. However, his life begins to unravel when one person’s unchecked jealousy and cunning lies ignite a destructive force, damaging both his good name and his mental state.

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The latest issue of Living Legends, a special collector’s edition about the royal family, is now available! You can purchase The Royals at newsstands or online.

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2026-05-12 17:51