Tale of Two Cities Netflix eyes Charles Dickens...

Netflix is in talks to come on board for a new Channel 4 adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Tale Of Two Cities, which will be produced by Parade's End indie Mammoth Screen.

Broadcast understands that C4 is holding discussions with Netflix about the project, which would be the first time the US online streaming service has partnered with a British broadcaster in such a significant way.

BBC Worldwide holds the international rights to A Tale of Two Cities and is working with C4 and Lookout Point to secure a US partner. Netflix is thought to be at the front of the queue - ahead of several other broadcasters.

The adaptation has been written by Alan Bleasdale, who is best known for penning BBC2's Boys From The Blackstuff and C4 political drama GBH.

Most recently, Bleasdale oversaw two-part BBC2 drama The Sinking Of The Laconia in 2011.

The drama will be Bleasdale's second Dickens adaptation after he reworked Oliver Twist for PBS and ITV in 1998.

Netflix is understood to have held talks with a number of UK broadcasters as part of its commissioning drive and is ramping up work with UK indies. It has already partnered with Left Bank Pictures to make a major 20-part biopic on the Queen.

Channel 4, meanwhile, has made no secret of its desire to co-produce more international drama. In April, it struck a deal with Microsoft's Xbox Entertainment Studios to co-produce Humans, a remake of Swedish sci-fi drama Real Humans. Kudos Film & Television is making the series.

That project is being shepherded by C4's recently installed head of international drama Simon Maxwell, who is also understood to be overseeing A Tale Of Two Cities.

The novel is set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. It tells the story of two men, Charles Darnay and Sydney

Carton, who look similar but have very different lives and have to deal with issues around revolution and insurrection. It was originally published in weekly instalments in 1859.

The novel has been adapted for TV a number of times, including an eight-part series in 1980 for the BBC and a two-part serial for ITV in 1989.

LINK:	http://www.mammothscreen.com/company-news/tale-of-two-cities-netflix-e...
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