Serialized American comic strips might not be generating many major motion pictures of late, but the funny pages across the pond have fared better, meriting a feature adaptation of a reimagined literary classic.
According to Variety, British director Stephen Frears has signed to helm the live-action adaptation of "Tamara Drewe," cartoonist Posy Simmonds' modern retelling of Thomas Hardy's "Far From the Madding Crowd."
Frears appears to be a fan of Simmonds' sequential storytelling, which could translate into a vision for the film that's consistent with the comic.
"I've loved Posy Simmonds' work for a long time," Frears told Variety.
Simmonds' modernized story follows doomed heroine Drewe, a journalist with a nose job who takes out being dumped by her rock-star boyfriend on an unsuspecting writer's retreat and the hardly-functioning married couple who run it. It's a little different from the original tale, which featured a good deal more sheep, but the exploration of a woman's role in society remain at the heart of the narrative.
Fresh from her "Quantum of Solace" role, former Bond girl Gemma Arterton is attached to star as the story's titular protagonist, alongside Dominic Cooper, Roger Allam, Luke Evans, Bill Camp and Tasmin Greig.
Simmonds has published numerous children’s books and graphic novels, including "Gemma Bovery." Her time cartooning for the U.K.'s the Guardian newspaper has yielded multiple collections, with "Tamara Drew" being her latest.
Does Frears sound like the right director to transition "Tamara Drew" from the page to a full-length feature film? Excited to see Gemma Arterton tackle a staring role? Get close to the comment crowd to share your thoughts.