Even film lover Harvey Weinstein does television, from “Project Runway” to the latest announcement in a growing trend: International TV co-productions. The Weinstein Company has made a “major deal” to partner on the BBC’s upcoming mini-series adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.” It will be six hour-long episodes — eight 44-minute episodes for international broadcast — and shooting for an air date on BBC One in 2015.
Andrew Davies (“House of Cards”) is penning the script. Per THR, Harvey Weinstein has called the project “tremendous but exciting.” No kidding. Tolstoy’s tome is nearly 1500 pages.
The story will remain in its original era and setting, 19th century Russia, with an expected focus on the human interactions and conflicts of the novel, as opposed to the philosophical elements.
This isn’t the first time the BBC has taken on Tolstoy’s classic. Anthony Hopkins starred in “War and Peace” for the network from 1972-74.
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