Holliday Grainger plays Lady Chatterley with James Norton as her war-wounded husband Sir Clifford Chatterley and Richard Madden as gamekeeper Oliver Mellors, in the 90-minute drama which will be directed by Mercurio to air on BBC One as part of its ambitious season of classic 20th century literature next year.
Jed Mercurio, writer and director, says: “I’m hugely flattered that such a fabulously talented young cast will bring these iconic roles to life.”
Lady Chatterley’s Lover, an early-20th-century tale of love across class boundaries, tells the legendary and romantic story of Lady Chatterley’s affair with her gamekeeper. With its original 1928 edition censored in Britain for over 30 years after it was written, Lady Chatterley’s Lover is one of the most sexually pioneering novels of the 20th century.
Beryl Vertue, Executive Producer, Hartswood Films, says: “I am delighted to be working with Serena Cullen who developed this exciting project, and Jed’s great screenplay has enabled us to attract these fine actors.”
Serena Cullen, Producer, Serena Cullen Productions, adds: “It’s an exciting challenge to be producing Lady Chatterley and a privilege to be working with Jed Mercurio and Beryl Vertue.”
Charlotte Moore, Controller, BBC One, says: “I’m very proud that BBC One continues to be a place for the very best of new British talent.”
The season of films commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Controller, BBC One, and Ben Stephenson, Controller BBC Drama Commissioning, aims to explore and contextualise the enormous changes in the way men and women lived and behaved in the 20th century. They all tell uniquely intense and personal stories about people living in Britain 100 years ago.
BBC One’s season of classic 20th century literature will also include Adrian Hodges’ adaptation of LP Hartley’s The Go-Between, Ben Vanstone’s adaptation of Laurie Lee’s memoir Cider With Rosie and J B Priestley’s classic play An Inspector Calls.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a Hartswood Films production in association with Serena Cullen Productions. It is written and directed by Jed Mercurio, produced by Serena Cullen and the executive producers are Beryl Vertue for Hartswood Films and Lucy Richer for BBC One.
It was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Controller, BBC One, and Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning and shooting will begin on location in Wales this October to transmit in 2015 on BBC One.