'Lawrence of Arabia' Miniseries in Development
by Shannon Keirnan
Roland Emmerich (“White House Down”), along with FremantleMedia International, will be developing a new 6-hour miniseries based on the story.
FremantleMedia International CEO David Ellender is confident that current events make this a great time to bring back “Lawrence of Arabia.”
"The Middle East and Arab Spring as we know them today are linked to Lawrence’s actions, which make this epic incredibly topical. I am delighted that we are working with partners of such high caliber to bring this project to the screen."
The story follows British Army officer T.E. Lawrence, whose relationship with Arab leaders during World War I earned him the title nickname.
Emmerich will produce, as well as Marc Frydman of “Straw Dogs,” and Rod Lurie of “Commander In Chief. The series is written by Clive Bradley, of “Waking the Dead.” Michael Korda has signed on a historical consultant.
It’s not the first history-based project for FremantleMedia. “The Maid,” based on Joan of arc, is in development with Craig Pearce (“Moulin Rouge”) writing the script.
Marshall Herskovitz (“The Last Samurai”) will also develop a drama series based on the book Hitlerland by Andrew Nagorski.
In conjunction with Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Production, Fremantle Media will also bring us “The Drivers,” a new series based on the 24-hour motor race in Le Mans that was held during the 1950’s and 1960’s, written by Michael Hirst (“The Tudors,” “Elizabeth”).