Mike Newell to direct adaptation of ON CHESIL BEACH

Movie Sam Mendes Skyfall about 12 years agoby

Ian McEwan's novella On Chesil Beach has found a new director. Sam Mendes had initially signed on to direct when Bond 23 was on hold. Now that Skyfall is moving ahead at full speed, Mendes has had to drop out. Mike Newell has stepped in to helm the project, which is "an intimate drama about a young couple on their wedding night." Mendes is still attached as a producer. StudioCanal, Neal Street Productions, and BBC Films are funding the film, which begins shooting next summer.

The story revolves around "a young couple, both virgins, as they prepare to consummate their union on their wedding night in 1962. Having grown up in the repressed ’50s, neither knows very much about sex; while Edward is understandably nervous, Florence is absolutely dreading their impending encounter. As we learn more about the characters’ personalities and histories, it becomes clear how each came to this point."

Newell is a great choice to direct this film. He directed Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco, as well as 2005′s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He recently directed the disappointments Love in the Time of Cholera and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, so lets hope this is better. Newell is currently shooting the adaptation of Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations, with Helena Bonham Carter and Jeremy Irvine.