After what seems to be a nightmare experience during the production of “Domino,” acclaimed filmmaker Brian De Palma isn’t taking time to lick his wounds and retreat. No, he’s out there doing what he does best – creating art. And while we know that the project he’s working on now is a riff on the recent #MeToo scandal surrounding Harvey Weinstein, we have an idea of what he’ll likely be doing after – a Civil War-era TV series.
According to the French outlet Telerama, De Palma is attached to a new series titled “Newton 1861,” which is an adaptation of the recent series “A French Village.” The series is a huge hit in France and tells the story of the titular village and its inhabitants during World War II. However, in bringing the series to America, De Palma is reportedly making some major storyline changes. Instead of the World War II setting, the filmmaker is going to move the series to Kentucky, during the Civil War. And in doing so, he’ll tackle much of the same themes the French series tackled but with the added drama of the racial and political tensions of the era.
As mentioned, De Palma is reportedly working on a new film based on the Weinstein scandal titled “Predator.” (Sadly, there are no aliens or Arnold Schwarzenegger appearances.) It’s unclear if “Newton 1861” will be his next project or not, or exactly how involved the filmmaker will be in the production of the series. As of now, all that is known is that De Palma is working with Frédéric Krivine, the writer and producer of “A French Village,” in bringing the series to the US.
Hopefully, we’ll hear more about the series shortly, as there’s no network or streaming service attached at this time. But considering De Palma is attached, and it’s a remake of a hit French TV show, “Newton 1861” seems like an easy pick for some studio lucky enough to snag it.
