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Kenneth Lonergan To Write "Howards End" Adaptation

by ScreenCraft Staff on October 11, 2013

American screenwriter, director and playwright Kenneth Lonergan has been brought on board to write a miniseries project for BBC titled "Howards End."

The project is an adaptation based on E.M. Forster's novel, which was first published in 1910. The story follows three families amidst social and class divisions in early 20th century England.

The book was named after a piece of expensive British real estate, making the name "Howards End" conjure up romanticized images of old England. Fans of "Downtown Abbey" can look to "Howards End" for their fix of aristocrats, servants and stately homes.

Fans of "Downtown Abbey" may enjoy the new series considering the success of the show.

According to a Deadline report, "the project is not yet greenlighted, but is envisioned as a four-parter for BBC Two."

Along with BBC, the show is being developed by Colin Callender's Playground Entertainment, who, in association with City Entertainment and KippSter Entertainment, acquired rights to adapt Forster's novel into a miniseries last year. Callender became the President of HBO Films in 1999. With his oversight, HBO won more than 100 Emmy awards, as well as many others that helped shape the network's success. Currently, he is the executive producer for the TV series "The White Queen" and "Dracula."

Adapting the novel would be Lonergan's first writing credit in television. He has been nominated for awards in both playwriting and screenwriting. He was nominated for two Oscar awards for best original screenplay for "Gangs of New York" and "You Can Count On Me." The latter has received much attention and praise. Between 2000 -2001, "You Can Count On Me" has won Lonergan the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Drama, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay, the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Screenplay, and the AFI Award for Best Film and Best New Writer.

In 1970, "Howards End" was adapted into a television series, which was the basis for the 1992 film directed by James Ivory.

Much news has been breaking lately regarding TV adaptations. Check out one deal that came out of MIPCOM, a global entertainment content trade show, earlier this week. Read the ScreenCraft post: Emmy-Nominated Team to Adapt Israeli Series for CBS 

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