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Sharpe Author’s ‘Agincourt’ Due To Be Adapted For Film
August 10th, 2009 by Jon Hunter, under Movies. No Comments
The latest book by Bernard Cornwell author of the Sharpe series of Novels is due to be adapted into a film. ‘Agincourt’ Bernard’s latest book unsurprisingly focuses in on the events around the 1415 battle through the eyes of English Archer Thomas Hook.
Based in London the Independent Film Co. has commissioned Michael Hirst to adapt the book for film, Michael has a track record in historical fiction creating the Tudors TV series, and writing the screenplays for the films Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
The book has done remarkably well selling over 200,000 copies in the first 3 months in the UK and spending over 4 weeks on the New York times best sellers list. It is not he first of Bernard Cornwells books to be adapted with his Richard Sharpe character having over 15 TV films made, 12 of them based (sometimes much to loosely.) on his books set in the Napoleonic era .
Agincourt has had virtually no film exposure outside films of Henry V, but it is a battle where the small English army of archers defeated a much larger French army of knights. Up to10,000 French died with a supposed loss of only 112 English casualties. It has also been claimed as being the battle which brought about the death of chivalry in Europe, and is believed to have been the origination of the English two fingered salute.
The film has a budget of a very modest $35 million, and is rumoured to start shooting in 2011, cast and location at this point are not known.
A French release for the film is currently deemed unlikely. We are also awaiting a release date of St Crispin’s day which was the date of the battle in 1415, but that may prove be hard for the production company.
Sharpe Heads For The Throne
August 1st, 2009 by Jon Hunter, under Movies. No Comments
Well known Sharpe actor Sean Bean, the also stared as Boromir in Lord of the Rings has been announced for a major role the HBO planned series ‘A Game of Thrones’ which is an adaptation of George RR Martin popular ‘Song of Fire and Ice’ series of fantasy books.
No date has been set for screening the pilot as yet, and there is no commitment from HBO to a full series either, but with a Serious cast list headed up by Sean Bean, this project has got to be taken seriously.
Sean bean has been cast in lead role of Eddard Stark, who is a Lord who finds himself acting as advisor to the ruthless royal family. Other cast members already confirmed to feature in the Pilot include Kit Harrington, Jack Gleeson, Harry Lloyd, and Peter Dinklage, with more key roles still to be announced.
The show is been adapted and is being produced by David Benioff and Dan Weiss. David Benioff has suggested a ‘crappy’ tagline for the project could be, “The Sopranos in Middle-earth”, which can only get you thinking. If true to the books plot elements that should contain a spot of conspiracy, incest, child murder, corruption, conspiracy, a rival claimant to the throne across the sea, the still-festering legacy of a civil war 20 years before, a growing threat in the North and did I say conspiracy? We should see a show which is much darker than previous fantasy adaptations Sean Bean has starred in.
Filming is scheduled to begin in Northern Ireland in October 2009, at Paint Hall Studios in Belfast. It has also been reported that the BBC will have a significant financial involvement in the series in a similar way they did with HBO’s Rome series.
Sean Bean leapt to fame as the character Major Richard Sharpe, the series of Sharpe TV films in the early 90’s. He was made world famous in the role of Boromir in the Lord of the Rings films, but has also appeared in numerous other Hollywood films including as Ronin, Patriot Games and Troy.
