Primetime Emmy Award nominee Rupert Friend is set to take on the role of Sergiu Celibidache in “The Yellow Tie.”

In a statement, Rupert Friend said, “I am thrilled to be working with John once again; one of our greatest actors. It’s an honor to be sharing with him the responsibility of portraying a man as fascinating, complex, and talented as Sergiu Celibidache – I’m excited to be bringing his story to the screen.”

Friend will play the Romanian-born music conductor in his prime while John Malkovich will play Celibidache in his later years.

The actor is known for his roles “Homeland,” “The Young Victoria,” and “Anatomy of a Scandal.”

Celibidache was born in the small Romanian city of Roman and was banished from the family home by his father, upon declaring his commitment to a career in music. After enduring homelessness in Bucharest, he traveled to Berlin to pursue his dream but encountered prejudice and discrimination. Having survived World War II, he won, against all odds, a competition to become the youngest ever conductor of the revered Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

“The Yellow Tie” will begin shooting early in 2023 in Romania with director Serge Ioan Celebidachi at the helm, from a screenplay by James Olivier and Serge Ioan Celebidachi.

The film will produced by Adela Vrinceanu Celebidachi, Cristina Dobritoiu, (Oblique Media Film, Romania), Andrei Boncea, Christopher Milburn (Frame Film, Romania) and James Olivier (Celi Films, UK), alongside Executive Producer Robert W. Cort (“Cocktail,” “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” “Jumanji,” “Terminator Genisys,” “On The Basis of Sex”). Casting is by Georgia Topley & Des Hamilton.

FRANCISCO SALAZAR, (Publisher) worked as a reporter for Latin Post where he has had the privilege of interviewing numerous opera stars including Anita Rachvelishvili and Ailyn Perez. He also worked as an entertainment reporter where he covered the New York and Tribeca Film Festivals and interviewed many celebrities such as Antonio Banderas, Edgar Ramirez and Benedict Cumberbatch. He currently freelances for Remezcla.

He holds a Masters in Media Management from the New School and a Bachelor's in Film Production and Italian studies from Hofstra University.

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