Thomas Hardy’s classic novel Far From The Madding Crowd has been a target of directors for years now, and has been seen on screens both big and small at least three times.** The Celebration**/ **Dear Wendy **director Thomas Vinterberg has decided it’s something he wants to tackle and is in talks with DNA Films about the job.
Hardy’s novel follows the changing fortunes of several characters, including Bathsheba Everdene, who attracts the attention of several men and finds her life filled with wealth, heartache and tragedy. The most famous adaptation was John Schlesinger’s 1967 version, which saw Julie Christie as Bathsheba, Terence Stamp as Sergeant Troy and Alan Bates as shepherd Gabriel Oak.
According to The Wrap, Starter For 10 / One Day writer David Nicholls (who was also behind a TV version of Hardy’s Tess Of The D’Urbervilles and, more recently, Dickens’ Great Expectations) is on board to craft the script. And the producers are apparently interested in Carey Mulligan as the new Bathsheba.
Vinterberg’s latest, The Hunt, will be part of the London Film Festival and arrives in cinemas on November 30. Check out the trailer below.