Support NeoGAF

[Loxley]

via /Film:

Even at over three and a half hours long, David Lean’s masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia only scratches the surface of who T.E. Lawrence actually was. To tell that full story you’d probably need a much longer time. Maybe a miniseries. And someone who knows how do make epic films. There are many of those, but the one interested in the task is Roland Emmerich.

And so the director of Universal Soldier, Stargate, Independence Day and this summer’s White House Down is currently developing a mini-series based on the life of Lawrence, with the help of biographer Michael Korda and screenwriter Rod Lurie (2011′s Straw Dogs). No network yet owns the rights.

ScreenCrush reported on the production, which is being shepherded by FremantleMedia International. Here’s what their CEO David Ellender said about the project:

T.E. Lawrence was undoubtedly one of the greatest military and political strategists of our time and a stunningly intrepid Englishman who tried to unite the Arab world. The heritage of this story is fascinating – beyond the historical element, it’s a personal tale of emotional turmoil, identity crisis, conflicting loyalties and individual brilliance. The Middle East and Arab Spring as we know them today are linked to Lawrence’s actions, which make this epic incredibly topical. I am delighted that we are working with partners of such high-caliber to bring this project to the screen.

Sounds like a project that we could see on the History Channel or something, does it not? Where do you think would be the best fit?

I like the idea of a mini-series about the many exploits of T.E. Lawrence, but then again, Roland Emmerich...

 

[liquidtmd]

It looks insubordinate, but it isn't really

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

Nothing good can come from this.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

BBC and Fremantle in battle for Lawrence legacy

The BBC is developing an epic mini-series on the story of Lawrence of Arabia, which will go head to head with a Fremantle Media International project on the same subject. Broadcast can reveal that the corporation has come on board with Tiger Aspect and Lookout Point’s story about Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, which is being written by Any Human Heart author William Boyd. Tiger and Lookout announced they were developing Lawrence (working title) last year and are now in talks with the BBC to decide how best to take it forward. It started life as a one-off special, but has since developed into a mini-series and is expected to be reasonably broad in style, like Boyd’s recent BBC1 adaptation Restless. Insiders at the corporation confirmed the BBC is on board but said no decision had been made over which channel it will play on. They also stressed that the project remains at an early stage. It will go up against Fremantle Media International’s version of the tale, announced this week.

http://m.broadcastnow.co.uk/5054511.article

I'd rather see the BBC series come to fruition. Who better than the finest factual documentary makers in the world.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Didn't I post a thread about this the other day? On my phone so hard to search.