The 1963 British classic is getting a new version, directed by God’s Own Country director Francis Lee. More on The Servant below. Another day, another reimagining. This time, Francis Lee is tackling director Joseph Losey’s 1963 classic The Servant. Deadline reports that the project is currently making the rounds at Cannes where Mk2 is handling ... Francis Lee to direct a reimagining of The Servant
The 1963 British classic is getting a new version, directed by God’s Own Country director Francis Lee. More on The Servant below.
Another day, another reimagining. This time, Francis Lee is tackling director Joseph Losey’s 1963 classic The Servant.
Deadline reports that the project is currently making the rounds at Cannes where Mk2 is handling international sales for it. Nicholas Hoult, Colman Domingo, Noah Jupe and Emma Corrin have also been tapped to star in the film.
The Servant is set in 1950s New York and is “about Tony (Hoult), an entitled British man who moves into a beautiful apartment on Central Park and becomes embroiled in a wicked power play with his manservant, Barrett (Domingo).”
“I am delighted to be working with my incredible cast on The Servant, an exciting, dangerous and fun retelling with a contemporary viewpoint of the classic film,” Lee, the director of God’s Own Country, said of the film. “Although this thrilling story is set in 1950s New York, its themes feel more timely than ever, and I can’t wait for audiences to discover this film through fresh eyes.”
The original was written by Harold Pinter, and its themes of class and sexual politics served as a major influence on Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winner Parasite. The Servant was ranked by the BFI as the 22nd greatest British film of all time in 1999 and was considered to be far ahead of its time, thanks to those above-mentioned themes as well as its cinematography.
It’s a bloody good film. The Servant also enjoyed a particularly beautiful 4K release a couple of years ago.
This new reimagining is due to start filming in January 2027. It remains to be seen how closely Lee’s version will stick to the original film. It is, after all, being touted as a reimagining rather than a straight up remake, but that might just be an attempt to avoid having the ‘remake’ label attached to it – a label that has a somewhat uneven reputation.
We’ll keep you updated on its progress.
