Filming Underway on Lord of the Flies
Filming is now underway on Eleven’s forthcoming adaptation of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.
Adapted for television by the multi-BAFTA award winning writer Jack Thorne (His Dark Materials, Help, National Treasure, Enola Holmes) and directed by Marc Munden (Help, The Sympathizer), the co-production with Stan, who will air the drama in Australia, will be distributed internationally by Sony Pictures Television.
LORD OF THE FLIES is the story of a group of young schoolchildren who find themselves stranded on a tropical island with no adults, following a deadly plane crash. In an attempt to remain civil, the boys organise themselves, led by Ralph and supported by the group’s intellectual, Piggy. But Jack, who is in charge of signal fire duty, is more interested in hunting and vying for leadership and soon begins to draw other boys away from the order of the group and, ultimately, from hope to tragedy.
The cast, many of whom are making their professional acting debuts, were auditioned following an open casting call, with no prior acting experience necessary. The process was led by multi-award winning casting director Nina Gold (Game of Thrones, The Power of the Dog, Baby Reindeer).
Also announced today, the multi-Oscar winning composer Hans Zimmer (Dune, Planet Earth, The Lion King), one of the biggest and most highly-lauded names in film and television, will co-create the series’ original score with multi-Emmy nominated Kara Talve (Tattooist of Auschwitz, Prehistoric Planet) for Bleeding Fingers Music.
Screenwriter and Executive Producer Jack Thorne says: “I still can’t believe we have been given the opportunity to film this beautiful book. The first few days shooting show that our cast are extraordinary and that Marc is finding a whole new visual language in capturing the wonders of them and the beauty of Malaysia. He is an incredible storyteller. It is all so exciting.”
Director Marc Munden says: “This iconic novel of class, conflict and tender male friendship has never been more relevant. It’s a real privilege to be working with Jack Thorne once again, the wonderful cast of young actors we’ve assembled and the brilliant team at Eleven on this beautifully fresh adaptation.”
Eleven’s Executive Producer Joel Wilson says: “Marc is a visionary. It is a privilege to be stood with him – as a witness to his skill with our young cast – as he brings Jack’s scripts to life. The visual language he has developed with Mark Wolf, our cinematographer would be a thing to behold in any environment. Here, capturing our excellent cast in the jungle, mountains and beaches of Malaysia, it is extraordinary. Hans has already shared his first sketches for the score, which are hugely inspiring. I’m writing this as I watch our cast more than thirty (all between the ages of five and thirteen) file up our mobile Jetty onto the beach, feeling delighted we made this happen”.
Stan’s Chief Content Officer Cailah Scobie says: “One of the biggest books of the 20th century, Lord of the Flies has captivated readers for generations, is loved by millions, and this landmark adaptation is guaranteed to compel Australian audiences. Our collaboration with the BBC and the award-winning team at Eleven features a dynamic young cast from top-tier creative talent, and we look forward to sharing this impactful Stan Original Series with our audiences soon.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: “We’re delighted to pass the conch to Jack Thorne, Marc Munden and this exceptionally talented young cast of stars in the making, who are telling this timeless story in such an epic and emotionally poignant way. Lord of the Flies is British storytelling at its finest and most thoughtful, and there is no better home for its first ever television adaptation than on the BBC.”
Read on the BBC Media Centre website here.
