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 Novel ‘Agincourt’ has done remarkably selling over 200,000 copies in 3 months since its release in the UK and spending over 4 weeks on the New York times best sellers list. The book not the first of Bernard Cornwells to be adapted, his Major Sharpe character having had over 15 TV films made, 12 of them based (sometimes much to vaguely.) on the Sharpe books set in the Napoleonic era .
Agincourt has had virtually no film exposure outside films of Henry V, but it is a battle where the small English army of archers defeated a much larger French army of knights. Up to10,000 French died with a supposed loss of only 112 English casualties. It has also been claimed as being the battle which brought about the death of chivalry in Europe, and is believed to have been the origination of the English two fingered salute.
The film is to be shot on a budget of a modest $35 million, and is due to start shooting at some point in 2011, cast and location at this point are unknown.
It is currently deemed unlikely if the film will be due to be dubbed for a French release. We are also waiting for a film release date of St Crispin’s day which was the date of the battle in 1415, but that may be hard for the production company to do