Dominic West, David Oyelowo and Lily Collins to star in BBC’s Les Miserables
They will be joined by Olivia Colman and Ellie Bamber.
Dominic West, David Oyelowo and Lily Collins are to star in a new BBC adaptation of Les Miserables.
The six-part TV drama, which will be penned by Pride and Prejudice and War and Peace screenwriter Andrew Davies, will also star The Night Manager’s Olivia Colman and Adeel Akhtar, as well as Ellie Bamber and Bafta Rising Star nominee Josh O’Connor.
West will play Jean Valjean, while Oyelowo will play Javert and Collins will take on the role of Fantine, the part that bagged Anne Hathaway an Oscar in the 2012 big screen version.
West, best known for his roles in The Wire and The Affair, said: “Jean Valjean is one of the great characters in world literature.
“His epic journey of redemption is one of the extraordinary roles an actor can take on, and I can’t wait to get stuck in to bringing Andrew’s brilliant adaptation to the screen.”
The series is expected to explore the cat-and-mouse relationship between convict Jean Valjean and police inspector Javert, against the backdrop of France at a time of civil unrest.
Collins said: “I’m so thrilled to be playing Fantine. She is a legendary character whose tragic story feels as relevant to tell today as when Les Miserables was first published.
“Andrew’s wonderful dramatisation opens up the character in fresh ways that I’ve never seen before in previous adaptations. And with this amazing cast coming together it really feels like it could be something very special indeed.”
“In Valjean, we see the terrifying anger and resentment against society but also the tenderness that is hidden deep in his complex psyche. And in Javert, the ferocious dedication to duty that takes him from obsession to madness.”
Filming will begin in February in Belgium and northern France.
