Luca Guadagnino took a break from his busy feature filmmaking career to take a stab at a prestige TV miniseries with the recently-ended “We Are Who We Are.” And it appears that the middling reviews of the HBO show didn’t scare him off from the idea of doing another, as a report claims that Guadagnino is set to take on the literary classic, “Brideshead Revisited,” as his next TV gig.
According to Deadline, Guadagnino is going to write and direct an adaptation of “Brideshead Revisited” for the BBC. And making things even more interesting, it appears that there are a number of big actors that are circling the project that will make Guadagnino’s series one of the most anticipated of the next year, including Andrew Garfield, Ralph Fiennes, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, and Joe Alwyn.
“Brideshead Revisited” is based on the novel “Brideshead Revisited, The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder” from author Evelyn Waugh and tells the story of Charles Ryder, who upon visiting Brideshead Castle at the end of WWII is reminded of his times at the location throughout the previous two decades. Those memories include his time with the Flytes, a family that lived in the palatial mansion. Ryder’s memories are mainly focused on his relationships with two of the family members, Sebastian and Julia.
Previously, the book was adapted into an 11-part miniseries in 1981, which is an acclaimed show that stars Jeremy Irons as the lead character, Ryder. And then in 2008, the book was adapted into a feature film, with Matthew Goode taking over that same role. For this new miniseries, it’s being reported that Garfield will take the role of Ryder and Fiennes and Blanchett playing Lord and Lady Marchmain.
While Guadagnino has a number of other projects on his plate, including the much-discussed “Scarface” remake, as well as his planned “Lord of the Flies” reimagining, it would appear that “Brideshead Revisited” is taking the lead as far as what will be made first. Deadline is reporting that production is expected to begin in early 2021.