The filmography of David Cronenberg is varied and, above all, strange. And that’s the reason why he’s such a cinephile favorite. Though his films have strong cult followings, he has never been the filmmaker to play it safe or appeal to the masses. That includes the film, “Dead Ringers.” But it appears that Cronenberg has one big fan in Rachel Weisz, who is ready to take his film and turn it into a new Amazon TV series.
According to Deadline, Weisz is teaming up with “Normal People” lead writer, Alice Birch, to develop a new TV drama based on the Cronenberg film, “Dead Ringers.” The film tells the story of two male twin gynecologists that use their identical looks to their advantage before everything begins to fall apart, in typical Cronenberg fashion. Apparently, Weisz is keeping the twin gynecologist aspect intact, but she will play the lead characters and tackle issues that are more closely related to women and society. The twin docs will tackle illegal medical research, sex, and falling in love, as well as a mission to change the way women give birth.
As mentioned, the new series is based on the 1988 film of the same name. That film starred Jeremy Irons in the lead roles and was co-written and directed by Cronenberg. With only a modest $13 million budget, the film still wasn’t a major box office success, only earning just over $8 million worldwide. However, since it is a Cronenberg film, “Dead Ringers” would eventually go on to be considered a cult classic.
“Dead Ringers” would mark the first major TV series work for Weisz since the 1993 miniseries “Scarlet and Black.” In recent years, the actress has become one of the most interesting performers working in films, having appeared in projects such as “Disobedience,” “The Light Between Oceans,” “The Favourite,” “The Lobster,” and “The Mercy.” Her next feature is the upcoming Marvel Studios film, “Black Widow.”