Some say that a good magician never reveals his tricks, though VEEP creator Armando Iannucci might have just pulled a rabbit out of his hat by revealing that Dev Patel is set to star in Filmnation's retelling of Charles Dickens' The Personal History of David Copperfield.
Directed and written by Iannucci, the film will present a modern take on Dickens' character as he explores a life made of illusions and sacrifice while searching for his place in a mad world. First published in 1850, Dickens' David Copperfield introduced a character who was modeled after the author himself, which tells of a beggar's childhood and the man who later became a world-renowned writer, thanks to his unyielding sense of sticktoititveness despite his many flaws and failings.
Iannucci will produce the project with Kevin Loader, and work from a script he co-wrote with Simon Blackwell (PEEP SHOW, IN THE LOOP). In the past, Iannucci and Blackwell teamed with Tony Roche and Jesse Armstrong to pen the script for IN THE LOOP, which had been warmly received by critics later nominated for an Academy Award.
Dev Patel, who just wrapped production on director Anthony Maras' HOTEL MUMBAI, has certainly come a long way since making a splash while starring in Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan's SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. With no other projects announced Patel looks to be focusing his efforts the David Coppefield project, which we can only hope is as exciting and mysterious as the character himself.