Andrew Davies To Adapt ‘War And Peace’ As Six-Part BBC Miniseries

Andrew Davies has written screen versions of everything from the original House Of Cards to Pride And Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, Bleak House, Brideshead Revisited and Bridget Jones. He’s now adding the tome of tomes to that list. The BBC has announced Davies will pen a six-part serialized version of Leo Tolstoy’s epic War And Peace to air on BBC One in 2015. The event drama hails from Doctor Who producer BBC Cymru Wales and it’s likely a U.S. partner will board the project in due course.

Tolstoy’s War And Peace begins in 1805 Russia and centers on five aristocratic families set against the backdrop of the reign of Alexander I, the lingering effects of his grandmother Catherine The Great’s rule and the events surrounding Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812. Davies today called the book, “A thrilling, funny and heartbreaking story of love, war and family life. The characters are so natural and human and easy to identify with and Natasha Rostova just beats Lizzy Bennet as the most lovable heroine in literature.” He is reportedly hoping to cast an unknown in the lead role of Natasha and two more established actors as the male leads Pierre and Andrei. Davies is currently at work on Jeremy Piven series Mr. Selfridge, the period drama he created (adapted from the book Shopping, Seduction And Mr Selfridge) which airs on BBC rival ITV. That show just got a second season order with shooting to start in April for air next year.