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Christopher Eccleston plays Lennon

BBC drama to look at Beatles' breakup

LONDON — The turbulent and often tragic life of John Lennon is to be the subject of another British film.

In the latest biopic, commissioned by BBC Four, former “Doctor Who” actor Christopher Eccleston plays the rock star in “Naked Lennon.”

Pic highlights the years from 1967 to 1971 when the Beatle was ending his first marriage to Cynthia as Yoko Ono entered his life, coping with the death of manager Brian Epstein and the group’s own messy and acrimonious disintegration.

Also featured are Naoko Mori, whose credits include “Torchwood” and “Absolutely Fabulous,” who plays Ono, and seasoned British thesp Rory Kinnear as Epstein.

Other cast members include Claudie Blakley, who featured in the BBC period drama “Cranford,” as Cynthia Lennon, and Irish actor Andrew Scott as Paul McCartney.

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BBC4 has established a reputation in the U.K. for backing low-budget, high-quality biopics such as recent film portraying children’s writer Enid Blyton, “Enid,” starring Helena Bonham-Carter.

“Lennon Naked” was written by Robert Jones, the co-creator of BBC TV drama “Party Animals” about political wannabes.

It is being filmed in London by U.K. shingle Blast! Films, winners of a BAFTA for “Hunger,” and will air in Blighty next year.

Film follows “Nowhere Boy,” Sam Taylor Wood’s depiction of Lennon as a teenager growing up in Liverpool in the 1950s.

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