Charlie Heaton cast as Joseph Merrick in BBC’s The Elephant Man
By Derek Johns
BBC now has a new adaptation of The Elephant Man in the works and Stranger Things actor Charlie Heaton has been cast in the title role of Joseph Merrick.
According to Deadline, BBC will be taking a more thorough and biographical approach on Merrick’s life than past depictions. BBC will be airing it as a miniseries in two 90 minute episodes. This version of The Elephant Man will reportedly go through Merrick’s entire life including his troubled upbringing and early adulthood, his time working as a freakshow attraction and his relationship with Dr. Treves
The fascinating life of Merrick has been depicted many times over the years.
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Perhaps the most well known is the 1982 film also called The Elephant Man. The David Lynch directed movie starring the late great John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins premiered to critical acclaim and went on to be nominated for 8 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Hurt.
The Elephant Man has also found its way onto the stage. Initially, the playoff and on Broadway from 1977 to 1981 and had over 900 performances. It then went on to have a couple brief revivals in 2002 and 2014. Between all three of its runs, The Elephant Man has been nominated for 13 Tony Awards and won 3.
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Heaton can also be seen in 2019 as Cannonball in New Mutants and of course in Netflix’s upcoming third season of Stranger Things.
Do you think Heaton is a good choice to play John Merrick? GIve us your thoughts in the comment section.