'The Great Gatsby' by Michael Hirst to come to TV
The Great Gatsby has been an evergreen source of good cinema for Hollywood. Starting with lead actor Warner Baxter in 1926 to Leonardo DiCaprio in 2013, the popular novel by F Scott Fitzgerald has been adapted to the silver screen four times. Now, Vikings screenwriter Michael Hirst is returning to his favorite Fitzgerald fiction for a TV adaptation. Here's more.
Fitzgerald scion joining as consulting producer
Hirst will write and executive produce the series with producer Michael London, known for his 2008 movie Milk. Joining the leaders of this project is Fitzgerald's great-granddaughter Blake Hazard as consulting producer. While Hazard's involvement strengthens the title, Hirst plans to make up for the lost and hushed out backdrops of American society in past adaptations through his own.
Hirst read and even taught it in Oxford
Talking to reporters, Hirst said his association with The Great Gatsby is decades-long since he read it first in school and later went on to teach it at the University of Oxford in the 1970s. He quoted critic Lionel Trilling's impression of the piece, who said it is "still as fresh as when it first appeared, it has even gained in weight and relevance."
Watching America through new viewpoint
However, Hirst wants to make it more diverse and relatable to the current audience. "Today, as America seeks to reinvent itself once again, is the perfect moment to look with new eyes at this timeless story, to explore its famous and iconic characters through the modern lens of gender, race and sexual orientation," he said. Hazard praised Hirst's fearlessness and respect for Fitzgerald's work.
More of African-American community to be seen
The producers are still to finalize the network and scale for this limited series which adds on the African-American community, while the romance between millionaire Jay Gatsby and his former lover Daisy Buchanan stays intact. Talking about grandeur, the DiCaprio-starrer had over 1,700 outfits made for the film to reproduce the 1920s jazz era. Also, Tiffany & Co. made several jewelry pieces for the film.
