--- title: "Jonathan Bailey and Bill Nighy cast in film \"Insomniac City\" adapting Bill Hayes memoir" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/media/jonathan-bailey-and-bill-nighy-cast-in-film-insomniac-city-adapting-bill-hayes-m" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/jonathan-bailey-and-bill-nighy-cast-in-film-insomniac-city-adapting-bill-hayes-m" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/media/jonathan-bailey-and-bill-nighy-cast-in-film-insomniac-city-adapting-bill-hayes-m.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/jonathan-bailey-and-bill-nighy-cast-in-film-insomniac-city-adapting-bill-hayes-m" category: "Media" published: "2026-11-09T21:25:13.268Z" source_reported: "2026-11-09T19:48:07.000Z" updated: "2026-11-09T21:25:13.268Z" trust_score: 58 critic_score: 66 hype_score: 48 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-11-09T21:00:52.509556+00:00" --- # Jonathan Bailey and Bill Nighy cast in film "Insomniac City" adapting Bill Hayes memoir *The love story of writer Bill Hayes and neurologist Oliver Sacks will be directed by Dominic Cooke with Altitude handling worldwide sales at AFM* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 58 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to a named body, and the story is covered by multiple independent outlets. - Craft 66 of 100, higher is better. The story is clearly written, and anyone affected or responsible is quoted or given a right of reply. - Hype 48 of 100, lower is better. The headline promises more than the body delivers, with mild sensationalism. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Jonathan Bailey and Bill Nighy are set to star as Bill Hayes and Oliver Sacks in Insomniac City - The film adapts Bill Hayes’s 2017 memoir about his romance with Oliver Sacks - Dominic Cooke will direct and co‑write the adaptation - Altitude will manage worldwide sales and present the project at the American Film Market Jonathan Bailey has been confirmed to play writer Bill Hayes, while Bill Nighy will portray neurologist Oliver Sacks in the feature film Insomniac City. The picture adapts the 2017 memoir by Bill Hayes, which recounts his move to New York City after a devastating loss and his subsequent love affair with Sacks. Dominic Cooke will direct the adaptation and also co‑write the screenplay with Hayes. Altitude has been appointed to handle worldwide sales and will introduce the project to buyers at the American Film Market. > "poet laureate of contemporary medicine" > > — The New York Times, as quoted by Variety ## What the coverage left out No right‑rated outlet ran the story, so the right side did not publish any report or digest about Insomniac City. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 67% (4) - Centre: 33% (2) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 6 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-11-09T21:00:52.509556+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-11-09T21:30:50.272Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Variety’s full report led on the casting of Bailey and Nighy, Cooke’s role as director and co‑writer, and Altitude’s sales launch at AFM. It also quoted the New York Times description of Sacks as the “poet laureate of contemporary medicine” and listed the production companies and executive producers involved. The Hollywood Reporter digest highlighted Cooke’s direction and Altitude’s sales plan, while Pink News’s digest noted Cooke’s dual role as director and co‑writer of the adaptation. ### Centre - ComingSoon’s digest stressed that the film resembles a beloved 1993 Tom Hanks romance and follows a love story that begins after a devastating loss. Netflix Junkie’s digest focused on the blend of art, science and serendipity in Manhattan, describing the narrative as an exploration of the bond between a grieving artist and a leading figure in modern medicine. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 4 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Hollywood Reporter](https://hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jonathan-bailey-bill-nighy-oliver-sacks-insomniac-city-1236751088) — Jonathan Bailey and Bill Nighy to Star in Oliver Sacks Love Story ‘Insomniac City’ - [ComingSoon.net](https://comingsoon.net/movies/news/2220172-jonathan-bailey-new-movie-wicked-2-tom-hanks-film) — Jonathan Bailey’s New Movie After Wicked 2 Is Exactly Like This Beloved Tom Hanks Film - [Netflix Junkie](https://netflixjunkie.com/hollywood-news-jonathan-bailey-and-bill-nighy-set-to-lead-new-romance-film-insomniac-city) — Jonathan Bailey and Bill Nighy Set to Lead New Romance Film 'Insomniac City' - [Variety](https://variety.com/2026/film/global/jonathan-bailey-gay-romance-film-insomniac-city-1236943109) — Jonathan Bailey to Star in Gay Romance Film ‘Insomniac City’ for ‘Elsinore’ Producers - [Pink News](https://thepinknews.com/2026/11/09/insomniac-city-film-2026) — Jonathan Bailey & Bill Nighy Star as Lovers in 'Insomniac City' - [Deadline](https://deadline.com/2026/11/jonathan-bailey-bill-nighy-love-story-film-insomniac-city-1237217341) — Jonathan Bailey & Bill Nighy To Star In Love Story 'Insomniac City' ## Questions **Who are the lead actors in Insomniac City?** Jonathan Bailey will play writer Bill Hayes and Bill Nighy will play neurologist Oliver Sacks, as confirmed by Variety and echoed in other reports. **What source material is the film based on?** The film adapts Bill Hayes’s memoir published in 2017, which recounts his real‑life romance with Oliver Sacks. **Who is directing the adaptation?** Dominic Cooke is set to direct the film and also co‑write the screenplay with Hayes, according to all reports. **How will the film be marketed to buyers?** Altitude has been appointed to handle worldwide sales and will present Insomniac City at the American Film Market, as noted by Variety and the Hollywood Reporter. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/media/jonathan-bailey-and-bill-nighy-cast-in-film-insomniac-city-adapting-bill-hayes-m. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Jonathan Bailey and Bill Nighy cast in film "Insomniac City" adapting Bill Hayes memoir", https://mediabias.news/media/jonathan-bailey-and-bill-nighy-cast-in-film-insomniac-city-adapting-bill-hayes-m