Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut gets Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly and more

Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut has it's leading cast. THR reports that Oscar winner Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins have joined Hoffman's U.K. set debut Quartet. The supporting cast also includes Sheridan Smith and Michael Gambon, and will film for nine weeks starting this week.

BBC Films and DCM Productions are backing a Headline Pictures and Finola Dwyer Productions movie in association with Decca and sales and finance label HanWay Films.

Quartet is based on Ronald Harwood’s stage play of the same name. The story is about redefining old age and growing old with hope. It follows "a group of old folks who live in a home for retired opera singers. Every year on Giuseppe Verdi’s birthday, the residents unite to give a concert to raise funds for their home. A new resident comes in and upsets the balance as old rivalry’s appear."

Hoffman is a great actor so I am interested in seeing him behind the camera. This sounds like an interesting firts film, not one that I would likely see in theaters. You should definitely check out Hoffman in the original Straw Dogs, Marathon Man and The Graduate. What are your thoughts?