There was an article in the Independent newspaper here in the UK a few days ago about the forthcoming movie of George Eliot’s Middlemarch, supposed to be due for release in 2010. Apparently Focus Features, which has made quite a lot of costume dramas including the most recent Pride and Prejudice and Gosford Park, is now on board, and it looks as if Sam Mendes is going to direct although Martin Scorsese had seemed interested too.
Andrew Davies is also said to have completed his script… so it sounds as if it is all going to happen, although there’s no casting news as yet as far as I’m aware. I’m not sure how a movie from such a huge book can possibly match the 1994 mini-series which I reviewed on this blog a little while ago, but I’ll still be very interested to see it, and just hope Davies’ script isn’t messed around with as much as it apparently was for the disappointing (in my opinion!) remake of Brideshead Revisited.
Also, very welcome news, the article says there is now a lot of interest in further movie costume dramas because of the good reaction Jane Campion’s Bright Star got at Cannes. Since period dramas on TV seem to be an endangered species at the moment, I’d love to see the movie studios stepping in and making more of them for the big screen.
I just ordered Middlemarch yesterday! It’s been so long since I’ve seen it, that it will be like viewing it for the first time!
I forgot that this remake is a movie and not a series. Seems to me that it will be a daunting and difficult task to cover the plot in under 2 hours? Glad to hear that Focus Features is on board after reading which other films they’ve done.
I’m sure you will enjoy seeing it again, Charley – I also saw it after a long time so that it was like seeing it the first time, and I loved it. One of the best mini-series!
Seems to me that it will be a daunting and difficult task to cover the plot in under 2 hours?
Why would you assume that the new adaptation will be under two hours long?