Ron Howard to Direct Geoffrey Rush in Nat Geo’s Albert Einstein TV Series
The National Geographic Channel is currently developing their first scripted series. It’s called Genius, it will focus on Albert Einstein, and the network has cast Geoffrey Rush to play the theoretical physicist. They’ve also cast an actor by the name of Johnny Flynn to play the younger version of Einstein.
According to THR, this is an anthology series, and the first season will be based on Walter Isaacson’s critically acclaimed biography of the scientist. We also have a little description of what the series will entail:
The 10-episode Genius will feature Flynn as Einstein in the years before he rose to international attention and acclaim. The drama will chart how an imaginative, rebellious patent clerk, who couldn’t get a teaching job or a doctorate, unlocked the mysteries of the atom and the universe. Each episode will explore Einstein’s scientific achievements, along with his volatile, passionate and complex personal relationships.
The pilot episode is set to be directed by Ron Howard, and this will be his first time directing a scripted primetime drama. The director had this to say in a statement:
"National Geographic’s unwavering commitment to excellence and their support and passion for this project has helped us attract talent such as Geoffrey and Johnny. My excitement for this project grows every day, and I cannot wait to get started.”
I’m a fan of Howard’s work, and Rush is just an insanely talented actor who is going to be awesome in the role of Einstein. He’s really the perfect choice to play the legendary scientist. I'll be looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
Here’s a description of the book:
By the author of the acclaimed bestsellers Benjamin Franklin and Steve Jobs, this is the definitive biography of Albert Einstein. How did his mind work? What made him a genius? Isaacson’s biography shows how his scientific imagination sprang from the rebellious nature of his personality. His fascinating story is a testament to the connection between creativity and freedom. Based on newly released personal letters of Einstein, this book explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk—a struggling father in a difficult marriage who couldn’t get a teaching job or a doctorate—became the mind reader of the creator of the cosmos, the locksmith of the mysteries of the atom, and the universe. His success came from questioning conventional wisdom and marveling at mysteries that struck others as mundane. This led him to embrace a morality and politics based on respect for free minds, free spirits, and free individuals. These traits are just as vital for this new century of globalization, in which our success will depend on our creativity, as they were for the beginning of the last century, when Einstein helped usher in the modern age.