The Portrait of a Lady series adaptation acquired by BBC
The BBC has acquired a six-part adaptation of The Portrait of a Lady, based on the classic novel by Henry James, adapted by Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Colette, The Salt Path, She Said) and directed by Aisling Walsh (Room at the Top, Miss Austen, Elizabeth is Missing). The six-episode series is executive produced by BAFTA-winners Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen for Number 9 Films TV in partnership with Beta Film GmbH.
The co-executive producer is Richard Tulk-Hart (High Road Entertainment) and the series producer is Rhonda Smith (Two Weeks in August, The Pursuit of Love). The Portrait of a Lady will premiere on MASTERPIECE on PBS in the US and Canada, and on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK.
“A charming young woman with an innate wildness and a burning desire to be independent, Isabel rejects a series of marriage proposals, but when she inherits an unexpected fortune that promises to grant her freedom, she falls prey to two American ex-pat schemers: the elegant Madame Merle and the charming but calculating Gilbert Osmond,” the synopsis reads.
“It’s also wonderful that we can reunite with some of the actors that we know so well from our movies in our first TV show; Bill Nighy, Gemma Arterton, and Miranda Richardson. We’re excited to see Nell Tiger Free in the iconic role of Isabel Archer and Jim Sturgess in the equally iconic role of Gilbert Osmond. We find it astonishing that James’ prescient story has not been made for television for nearly 60 years, but like all great things, it will definitely be worth the wait.”
Head of Scripted Content and Executive Producer for MASTERPIECE Susanne Simpson notes: “The caliber of talent behind this series is exceptional. It is a special pleasure to be working with Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen, who are remarkable award-winning filmmakers, and with writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz, whose scripts are as beautiful as they are insightful.
Filming has begun and will take place across the U.K., Hungary and Croatia.