History Boys DVD to be Released this April

On April 17, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release the DVD of Alan Bennett's "The History Boys". Presented in widescreen only with English Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, Spanish Dolby Surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles are also available.

The History Boys, which is based on Bennett's award-winning play, opened in London cinemas October 13, 2006.

The suggested retail price for the item is set at $27.98 in the U.S., and will include bonus material such as audio commentary by the director Nicholas Hytner and playwright-screenwriter Alan Bennett, a behind-the-scenes extra called "Pass It On: the History Boys on Screen", as well as a bonus entitled "History Boys Around the World: the Tour Diaries".

The film version was adapted to Bennett's original script and features most of the original stage cast, including Richard Griffiths, who received Tony and Olivier awards for his moving performance as Hector, the unconventional but inspirational school teacher.

The film also features Samuel Anderson as Crowther, Samuel Barnett as Posner, Dominic Cooper as Dakin, James Corden as Timms, Frances de la Tour as Mrs. Lintott, Sacha Dhawan as Akthar, Andrew Knott as Lockwood, Clive Merrison as the Headmaster, Stephen Campbell Moore as Irwin, Jamie Parker as Scripps, Adrian Scarborough as Wilkes, Georgia Taylor as Fiona, Russell Tovey as Rudge and Penelope Wilton as Mrs. Bibby.

According to press notes, "The History Boys tells the story of an unruly class of bright, funny history students in pursuit of an undergraduate place at Oxford or Cambridge. Bounced between their maverick English master (Richard Griffiths), a young and shrewd teacher hired to up their test scores (Stephen Campbell Moore), a grossly out-numbered history teacher (Frances de la Tour), and a headmaster obsessed with results (Clive Merrison), the boys attempt to sift through it all to pass the daunting university admissions process. Their journey becomes as much about how education works, as it is about where education leads."

The film received four British Independent Film Awards nominations, including those for Best Actress (de la Tour), Best Screenplay (Bennett), and two for Most Promising Newcomer (Barnett and Cooper).