‘Harry Potter’ Producer Brings ‘Out of Africa’ to Television

Feb 09, 2017

Posted by: Kim McChesney

Filmmaker Interviews, Films, Heyman, Heyman Interviews, News, Producers, Television Programmes

David Heyman, the producer of all eight Harry Potter films as well as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is developing a small screen adaption of the award-winning 1985 epic, Out of Africa according to The Hollywood Reporter here

Emma Watson

The film version of Out of Africa, which starred Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director for Sydney Pollack. The television series will be directed by Academy Award winner Susan Bier and Heyman’s company Heyday Television is producing the series jointly with NBCUniversal International Studios. Heyman said the following about Bier’s involvement in the project,

“We are beyond delighted that Susanne Bier has such a passionate attachment to Karen’s story: with such critically acclaimed work in both film and television, she is the ideal director to transport us to Africa through the eyes of Denmark’s most celebrated writer. And of course, the long form series offers us the chance to explore not only Karen’s world, but also the perspective of the Kenyans she encounters.”

The screenplay for the movie was adapted from the book by the same name, and was first published in 1937 as the memoir of celebrated Danish writer Karen Blixen’s story of her years in Kenya’s Ngong Hills during the last decades of the British Empire.

Image result for images of out of africa film

Both filmmakers shared their reflections on Blixen;

Heyman said,

”I had a farm in Africa’ is Blixen’s most famous line: she was a survivor, unpredictable and nonconformist, and a determined explorer,”

Bier added,

“Karen Blixen defied the male-dominated world at every turn. Despite heavy resistance, she single-handedly ran her farm in Africa. She felt a greater kinship with the indigenous Kenyan population than any of her class peers. She both found and lost the love for which she had always longed. She has always fascinated me. This opportunity to engage with her enduring legacy is a great challenge and even greater privilege.”

David Heyman continues to stay busy with new projects including the second Fantastic Beasts film scheduled to be released next year. Click here to read Leaky’s EXCLUSIVE interview with producer David Heyman at the Fantastic Beasts premiere last fall.





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