J.K. Rowling’s ‘The Casual Vacancy’ Adapted Into HBO/BBC Miniseries

The success of The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling has meant that HBO and the BBC have now teamed up to adapt the novel into a three-hour miniseries.

When the book was first published, the fact that it flew up the charts came as no surprise. It was the first thing Rowling had written since the Harry Potter books had come to an end. It was nothing like Harry Potter either – written for an adult market about adult themes. The Casual Vacancy follows the lives of the adults and teenagers of a small village in the English countryside as many people vie for the seat on the local council left vacant by the man who has recently died. As Rowling delves deeper into the lives of the village’s inhabitants, divides are revealed between rich and poor, wives and husbands and parents and children.

The adaptation has been written by Sarah Phelps (Eastenders), Jonny Campbell (In the Flesh) is set to direct and Ruth Kenley-Letts (The Hour) is producing. There is no word on cast as yet but production is set to begin this summer in south west England. Rowling herself will be involved as executive producer.

Source: Variety

New clip and images for The Fault in Our Stars

A first clip from the next #bookvsfilmclub story The Fault in Our Stars has been released entitled 'It's a Metaphor', along with some new images.

Hazel and Gus are two extraordinary teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them -- and us – on an unforgettable journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous, given that they met and fell in love at a cancer support group. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, based upon the number-one bestselling novel by John Green, explores the funny, thrilling and tragic business of being alive and in love.

The film will star Shailene Woodley as Hazel and Ansel Elgort as Augustus alongside Willem Dafoe, Sam Trammel and Laura Dern.  

To join the discussion of both book and film, use the hashtag #bookvsfilmclub.

Once: Film vs Play

Once was a small film that may have passed a lot of people by, yet those who saw it adored it and with good reason. The two leads, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, acted, sung and performed the music they had also written with such apparent ease and emotion it was hard not to fall in love with their story. This was obviously a labour of love for the pair of them.

Once follows a guy and girl who meet randomly while the guy is busking on the streets of Ireland. When the girl finds he has a job repairing vacuum cleaners, she manages to get him to fix her broken one and the two soon discover a shared passion for music.

As the days pass, they learn more about each other's lives and start to realise that by being together and playing music together, they are slowly bringing each other back to life.

Ultimately, their music is cathartic. It voices their inner concerns, their past demons and all that they have tried to overcome. Everything they have felt in life is poured into it, resulting in an incredibly emotional soundtrack that speaks volumes when they cannot.

The play in London - which currently stars Arthur Darvill (Doctor Who) and Zrinka Cvitešić - takes all the elements which made the film such a beautiful story to watch and adds even more passion. The songs remain, as does the story, albeit with a few tweaks to suit the production. There is also an added layer of humour which only serves to heighten the darker emotional scenes as the two musicians realise the extent of their feelings for one another. Cvitešić will sing with the voice of an angel, break your heart and then make you laugh.

Overall, the beautiful simplicity of the film, which is lovely and a joy to watch, is surpassed in the play adaptation by the extra layer of intensity. The play is such an immersive production that it really does pull you in. 

See it! Then get the soundtrack and check out the film so you can keep appreciating (or singing!) the enchanting songs. This is a story to be enjoyed more than just Once.

Film - 4/5 FOBLES
Play - 5/5 FOBLES

Next #bookvsfilmclub will find The Fault in Our Stars

The next #bookvsfilmclub has been chosen and it will be The Fault in Our Stars.

Based on the book by John Green, the film is set to arrive in June. So if you've read the book or are excited by the film then get tweeting using the hashtag or tweet me at @filmvsbook for more info.

Hazel and Gus are two extraordinary teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them -- and us – on an unforgettable journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous, given that they met and fell in love at a cancer support group. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, based upon the number-one bestselling novel by John Green, explores the funny, thrilling and tragic business of being alive and in love.

According to this new featurette, it seems Green was delighted with the chemistry between the two stars, Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort.

Alongside Woodley and Elgort, The Fault in Our Stars also stars Willem Dafoe, Sam Trammel and Laura Dern.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels set to make Londoners cry laughing!

This week I was fortunate enough to see the hilarious Dirty Rotten Scoundrels which has now arrived in London’s West End and it was HILARIOUS. Such an enjoyable night and the cast - which include Rufus Hound, Robert Lindsay and Samantha Bond - are all spectacular! But I hadn’t seen the film on which the play is based. Of course, as soon as I got home I headed to YouTube to see Steve Martin as Ruprecht and Michael Caine oozing all that charm he possesses.

Sometimes adapting from one medium to another can be a disaster and other times it can be magical. In this instance, it has certainly sent me to the original. Having so thoroughly enjoyed the play I certainly now need to see the film!

Check out my review of the play over at Live For Films.

 

For more info, check out http://www.scoundrelswestend.com/
 

Here's a snippet of Robert Lindsay in action to whet your appetite...