Paul Dano, Ade Edmondson, Stephen Rea and Greta Scacchi will feature in a new BBC1 adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace.
The six-part drama has been adapted by Andrew Davies, the prolific screenwriter whose credits include Pride and Prejudice and the big screen versions of the Bridget Jones books. It will begin filming in January on location in Russia, Lithuania and Latvia.
Dano, the US actor best known for roles in films including 12 Years a Slave, There Will Be Blood and Little Miss Sunshine, stars as Pierre Bezukhov, a social misfit son of a Russian grandee whose unexpected inheritance transforms his fortunes.
Edmondson will play Count Rostov, who accumulates debts through extravagant living, squandering the inheritance of his four children.
Lily James (Downton Abbey) will play his charming and lively daughter while Scacchi, who starred in the 2008 version of Brideshead Revisited, will play his wife, the profligate countess. Rea features as Prince Vassily Kuragin.
James Norton, best known for Happy Valley and Grantchester, will play Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, a stern, old-fashioned recluse.
Davies said: “When I came to War And Peace for the first time, rather late in life, I was struck by how fresh and modern the characters and relationships felt.
“It’s a story of the hopes and dreams of youth, set against the titanic background of the Napoleonic wars. Three characters at the centre: Pierre, the bumbling, chaotic idealist; Prince Andrei, whose cool Darcy-like exterior conceals huge emotional conflict; and Natasha Rostova, possibly the most appealing heroine in literature.
“These three are surrounded by a gallery of unforgettable characters - we get love, friendship, huge swings of fortune, betrayals, tragedy, and a surprising amount of comedy too.”
Norton said: “I’m thrilled to be entrusted with Andrei in this exciting adaptation. It’s a privilege to bring to life one of Tolstoy’s wonderfully rich and conflicted characters.”
Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein, who is producing the series with the BBC, said: “I fell in love with Tolstoy’s War And Peace as a teenager when I read it for the first time.
“Putting an epic, iconic story like War And Peace on screen with a cast of this calibre is an incredible thrill. Lily, Paul and James are all amazingly talented actors and it takes their level of talent to capture the scale of Tolstoy’s words. We are excited to get under way with Andrew Davies and the phenomenal team at BBC.”
War and Peace is being made by BBC Cymru Wales Drama, in partnership with The Weinstein Company and BBC Worldwide/Lookout Point.
Radio 4 is offering listeners its own War and Peace adaptation, by playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, over 10 hours on New Year’s Day starring John Hurt, Simon Russell Beale and Lesley Manville.
