The latest book by Bernard Cornwell author of the Sharpe series of Novels is due to be adapted into a film. ‘Agincourt’ Bernard’s latest book unsurprisingly focuses in on the events around the 1415 battle through the eyes of English Archer Thomas Hook.
London-based Independent Film Co. owned by Luc Roeg’s has employed Michael Hirst to adapt the book, Michael has gained acclaim with creating the Tudors series, writing the screenplays for the films Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
The book has done remarkably well selling over 200,000 copies in the first 3 months in the UK and spending over 4 weeks on the New York times best sellers list. It is not he first of Bernard Cornwells books to be adapted with his Richard Sharpe character having over 15 TV films made, 12 of them based (sometimes much to loosely.) on his books set in the Napoleonic era .
To this point the Battle of Agincourt has had little film exposure outside remakes of Henry V, but as a battle where are much smaller weaker English army butchered a much larger and better equipped French army, its believed close on 10,000 French died with a loss of only 112 English casualties. It is also noted as being the battle which brought about the death of chivalry, and is belied to of been the source of the English two fingered salute.
The film is budgeted for a very modest $35 million, and is due to start shooting in 2011, locations and cast at this point are not known.
It is currently unknown if the film will be due to be dubbed for a French release, but somehow we doubt it will do good business on the French side of the channel. We are also hoping for a film release date of St Crispin’s day which was the date of the battle in 1415, but that may be hard to do.
