Debbie Horsfield, writer of the comically sexy Poldark adaptation that got the whole world interesting in scything, plans to tackle Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo.
RadioTimes reported that Horsfield is working on the TV adaptation with a “major broadcaster” that hasn’t been revealed yet; the producers of Poldark, Mammoth Screen, are also on board. Deadline reminds everyone of the plot— just in case you’re pretty sure the protagonist is the guy who founded Crisco, who admittedly also deserved a title for his good works:
The story, written by The Three Musketeers author Dumas, is set between 1815 and 1839 in France and Italy. It follows the Bourbon Restoration through the reign of Louis-Philippe of France ahead of the Hundred Days period, when Napoleon returned to power. It is an adventure story following a man who is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes from jail, acquires a fortune, and sets about exacting revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment.
I can’t confirm this, but my theory is that Horsfield pitched this by rolling into an office with a supercut of all the sexy, miserable mining scenes in Poldark and told them, “This, but if it were The Great Escape.”