Two magicians shall
appear in England.
The first shall fear me; the second shall long to behold me;
The first shall be governed by thieves and murderers; the second shall conspire at his own destruction;
The first shall bury his heart in a dark wood beneath the snow, yet still feel its ache;
The second shall see his dearest possession in his enemy’s hand.
The first shall pass his life alone; he shall be his own gaoler;
The second shall tread lonely roads, the storm above his head, seeking a dark tower upon a high hillside.
The first shall fear me; the second shall long to behold me;
The first shall be governed by thieves and murderers; the second shall conspire at his own destruction;
The first shall bury his heart in a dark wood beneath the snow, yet still feel its ache;
The second shall see his dearest possession in his enemy’s hand.
The first shall pass his life alone; he shall be his own gaoler;
The second shall tread lonely roads, the storm above his head, seeking a dark tower upon a high hillside.
If you're at all familiar with
Susanna Clarke's masterful Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell then
you already know fans have long been vying for a screen adaptation.
Subtle magic, British sensibilities, fairy enhancement? Come on. We
need this!
In 2004, New Line Cinema paid a hefty sum for
the rights to product a film adaptation of Jonathan Strange & Mr
Norrell. The plans puttered about until the studio merged with Warner
Brothers in 2008. After which point the project lost steam, leaving
fans uncertain as to whether or not we'd ever see this adaptation
realized.
Luckily, on 30 November 2012, the BBC announced its plans to turn this book
into a six-part mini series. The series is being directed by Toby
Haynes (whose past works include episodes of Dr. Who and Sherlock).
Filming is already underway.
As for the cast, I can
say I'm very satisfied! Let's take a look, shall we? I've even
constructed an image so you can easily put a face to these names.
Eddie Marsan - Mr Norrell
Bertie Carvel - Jonathan Strange
Charlotte Riley - Arabella
Alice Englert - Lady Pole
Marc Warren - The Gentleman with the Thistle-Down Hair
Enzo Cilenti - Childermass
Samuel West - Sir Walter Pole
Ariyon Bakare - Stephen Black
Paul Kaye - Vinculus
What do you think? Like the cast? Hate it? Would you have chosen different actors? I was a bit iffy at first but at this point I'm pleased with the casting decisions. I can't make a final judgement without seeing everyone in character.
Needless to say, I am looking forward to seeing this! From the very beginning I had hoped the BBC would get their hands on this. Who better?
Will you be watching?
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