Modern Day Adaptation of Puccini’s LA BOHÈME Coming to UK Cinemas

One of the world’s most beloved operas, La Bohème, is coming to cinemas on 3rd March 2026, reimagined for modern-day London in a new adaptation from writer and director Robin Norton-Hale. The film is adapted from Norton-Hale’s Olivier Award-winning stage production of the opera.

Produced by Finite Films & TV, the film will launch in select cinemas across the UK on 3rd March. Set against the backdrop of present-day East London, La Bohème relocates the passions and pressures of young artists struggling to survive and connect in a modern city.

Scottish tenor Matthew McKinney, a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and winner of the 2024 Kathleen Ferrier Award,  plays the lead in his feature film role.

The cast brings together rising stars and established performers, with Matthew McKinney as Rodolfo and Lucy Hall as Mimì, alongside New Zealand’s Benson Wilson as Marcello, Julia Mariko as Musetta, and Mark Nathan as Schaunard and Edward Jowle as Colline (Falling). The ensemble also includes Pauls Putnins, Nicholas Morris and Ruth D’Silva (Ted Lasso).

Director Robin Norton-Hale is Artistic Director and CEO of English Touring Opera and the founder of OperaUpClose. Music Director and Conductor Alice Farnham leads a new interpretation of Puccini’s score with an orchestration by Jonathan Dove. The soundscape blends classical music with immersive modern sound design by Ben Baird (CAS).

Behind the camera is award-winning editor Sylvie Landra (La Haine, The Fifth Element), cinematographer Jack Edwards, and production designer Hannah McCulley. The production has also been recognised with the industry’s ReFrame stamp for its commitment to gender-balanced hiring.

The film is produced by Finite Films & TV founder Amy Gardner, whose recent executive producing credits include the Sundance 2025 hit Brides and Joshua Oppenheimer’s apocalyptic musical The End, starring Tilda Swinton, George MacKay and Stephen Graham. Gardner’s previous films include And Then Come the Nightjars (nominated for a 2025 Global Production Award), My House, and Honeytrap, which launched the careers of Jessica Sula and Lucien Laviscount. Paula Crickard (Ambleside, The Beyond) from Atelier 11 also produced the feature.