The Elephant Man (Biopic Film In The Works)

[Himmel]

Hungarian filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó has been tapped by Straight Up Films and Phoenix Pictures to direct a film about the life of Joseph Merrick, best known as The Elephant Man. The story will follow an unlikely love story between Joseph and the young woman assigned to his care at the Fawsley Hall Estate, where he’s been invited to experience nature and leisure in the final weeks of his life.

The Elephant Man was a popular stage play originated in 1970s London by Bernard Pomerance. Bradley Cooper starred as Merrick in the most recent 12-week theater revival, a performance that earned him a Tony nomination. David Lynch also adapted a 1980 film version starring John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins that picked up multiple Oscar noms.

“We feel that Kornel is the perfect voice for this extraordinary project,” Cohen and Polvino said, “The passion, humanity and poetry he infuses into his filmmaking is exactly what this love story deserves.”

“The story of Joseph Merrick is one of enduring inspiration. Kornel has a very fresh take that we all feel will bring compassion, dignity, and a new cinematic life to one of history’s most fascinating figures” said Medavoy.

Mundruczó, the director behind the 2014 Cannes award-winning film White God as well as Jupiter’s Moon, was recently announced as the director of Pieces Of A Woman, an indie drama starring Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf.

“I’ve been attracted to the character of Joseph Merrick’s for a long time,” Mundruczo said, “Our film will pay tribute to this astonishing man whose short life was filled with extraordinary experiences and challenges, that audiences all over the world will relate to deeply. In nature, all creatures thrive and in this environment, the Elephant Man can finally become Joseph Merrick, his true self.”

Production is slated to commence June 2020.

Source: Deadline

[kylor]

Not sure what to think about this. I really like the David Lynch version. We'll see how it looks when images come out for it and a trailer.

[Cremildo]

I think Lynch's film is a masterpiece that told Merrick's story in a hauntingly poetic and moving way, so I'll have to force myself to be open-minded about this.

[CyberpunkCentral]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cejy...ature=youtu.be

[kylor]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

I think Lynch's film is a masterpiece that told Merrick's story in a hauntingly poetic and moving way, so I'll have to force myself to be open-minded about this.

Definitely in the same boat here. Maybe I am being biased towards Lynch's version, but it will take something incredible to top it. But, I also thought nobody could top Heath Ledger's Joker, and I was proven wrong, so we'll see.

[Cremildo]

I think the director's best chance at distancing himself from the shadow of Lynch's classic would be to do it in a completely different way - as in, utterly realistically, without too many flights of fancy. I've seen only one of Mundruczó's film - White God - and a trailer for Jupiter's Moon, so I'm not familiar enough with his artistic persona to try and predict how he'll approach the subject.

Needless to say, just because a great film has been made about a specific subject doesn't mean other filmmakers can't tackle it again and do equally good work, but yeah, I suppose fans of the 1980 film will inevitably be a bit guarded.

[stvn1974]

Another who thinks Lynch's version is a masterpiece. If this gets that version released on BD/UHD in the USA then I am all for it. Not sure we need another film.

[BluBonnet]

‘A Different Man’ Star Adam Pearson to Play Joseph Merrick in ‘The Elephant Man’ Film Adaptation

Adam Pearson, who featured in A24’s comic noir “A Different Man,” is set to play the lead role of Joseph Merrick in “The Elephant Man,” a new feature film adaptation of Bernard Pomerance’s Tony-winning play. The screenplay is written by Bernanrd’s son, Moby Pomerance. Filming is scheduled to begin in spring 2026.

The storyline of Pomerance’s play is an adaptation of the diaries of Dr. Frederick Treves, Merrick’s physician, and spans the years he spent at the London Hospital. During his lifetime, Pomerance received thousands of letters from people around the world stating, “I am The Elephant Man”, a well-known line from the play.

Pomerance’s play gained fame because of the huge success of the adaptation, which first ran on the West End in London in 1977. It later ran Off-Broadway. Around that time, David Lynch helmed a film based on Merrick’s life, also titled “The Elephant Man,” but the 1980 Oscar-nominated feature had no direct relation to the play. In fact, producers of the original Pomerance play sued the film’s producer Brooksfilms at the time, over the Hollywood production’s use of the same title.

With this production, Adam Pearson will become the first disabled actor to play Joseph Merrick on screen. In a statement, Pearson said, “Joseph Merrick is a man I have a long and complex relationship with. From having his name used as a term of derision to learning about the man himself in documentaries I’ve presented. It’s been a cathartic journey of growing to love and respect a man who I as a child I avoided even thinking about. Now as a disability advocate and actor, I can think of no greater honour (yet heavy responsibility) than to tell the true story of Joseph Carey Merrick.”

Other actors who have played Merrick in the play, including on Broadway and in the West End, are Bradley Cooper, David Bowie, Billy Crudup, Mark Hamil, Philip Anglum and David Schofield who originated the role in London in 1977.

Eve Pomerance said, “My father never wanted prosthetics to be used on stage as he felt it took the audience out of the story. He wanted them to empathise fully with Merrick, to see themselves in him. Lines like, ‘I am not an animal, I am a man’ which have become synonymous with the play, will take on greater meaning with Adam telling this story and enable the audience to finally stand in Merrick’s shoes. My father would be beyond excited to see his dream becoming a reality.”

The Elephant Man will be produced by Stephen Nemeth for Rhino Films and Eve Pomerance for Major Motion Pictures. Adam Pearson is represented by Andrew Roach (DEIversity Talent Management) and Victoria Lepper (Victoria Lepper Associates).