'Marilyn' is NYFF focal point

Michelle Williams stars in "My Week with Marilyn."The Weinstein Co.'s "My Week With Marilyn" will world preem this fall because the Focal point Gala film from the New You are able to Film Festival, that also has arranged retrospective showcases of "Ben Hur," Nicholas Ray's "We Can Not Go Back Home Again" along with a roster of movies from Japanese production company Nikkatsu Films. Helmer Simon Curtis' "My Week With Marilyn" stars Michelle Williams as Lana Turner within the behind-the-moments tale of "The Prince and also the Showgirl," the 1957 pic which starred Laurence Olivier, performed in "Marilyn" by Kenneth Branagh. Dougray Scott, as Monroe's new husband Arthur Burns, is one kind of an ensemble which includes Dominic Cooper, Judi Dench, Julia Ormond, Emma Watson, Derek Jacobi and Simon Russell Beale. Film is dependant on the journals of Colin Clark, an assistant about the 1957 film who's performed in "Marilyn" by Eddie Redmayne ("Red-colored"). David Parfitt produces the film, which TWC has looking for release on November. 4. Meanwhile, the fest's Masterworks number of retrospectives has arranged a slate which includes a recently restored version of William Wyler's 1959 epic "Ben Hur" together with Ray's little-seen, experimental 1976 offering "We Can Not Go Back Home Again." The Nikkatsu tribute, timed towards the company's centennial, will feature 36 photos including Kon Ichikawa's "The Burmese Harp," Ko Nakahira's "Crazed Fruit," Shohei Imamura's "Pigs and Battleships" and Seijun Suzuki's "Toyko Drifter." Good reputation for Nikkatsu includes the studio's youth-oriented actioner output in the sixties in addition to its "romantic porn" series in the seventies. "Marilyn," skedded to screen March. 9, joins a fest slate which will start Sept. 30 with "Carnage," Roman Polanski's film version of Yasmina Reza's hit play. Further choices still be introduced. The 49th annual New You are able to Film Festival runs Sept. 30-March. 16. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com