No, that’s not a photo from another Jane Austen or Emily Bronte or even a Charlotte Bronte adaptation. It’s a photo of Jeremy Irvine as Pip in Mike Newell’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations courtesy of Empire.
If you’re wondering just who this kid is, you’ll know him soon enough as he stars in Steven Spielberg’s War Horse due out this Christmas. He has recently landed a role playing a young Colin Firth in The Railway Man for director Jonathan Teplitzky. Prior to Spielberg’s film, however, he was unknown to the world of feature films having only starred in one season of “Life Bites” for the Disney Channel in the UK.
Great Expectations could end up being the second big break for the young actor as he steps into the lead role in this latest adaptation of Dickenss book dramatizing the story of Pip (Irvine), a humble orphan who suddenly becomes a gentleman with the help of an unknown benefactor.
It was last Friday when we got our first look at Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham and the rest of the cast includes Ralph Fiennes as Magwitch, Robbie Coltrane as Mr. Jaggers, Jason Flemyng as Joe Gargery, Sally Hawkins as Mrs. Joe and Holliday Grainger as Estella.
Distribution will be handled by Lionsgate overseas, but there is not yet word of a domestic distributor. If you missed that previous look at Bonham Carter as Havisham click here for a peek.
