Keira Knightley will head up a TV adaptation of Sarah Perry’s 2016 novel The Essex Serpent for Apple TV+.
The novel, which is a period piece set in 1893, tells the story of a widow, Cora Seagrave, who moves from London to a small village in Essex after her marriage to an abusive husband comes to an end. There, she becomes interested in a local legend about a creature called the Essex Serpent.
It’s a book about Victorian repression, science and faith, and fear of the unknown. The novel was a big seller in the UK, where it sold upward of 200,000 copies. It’s got the makings of an intriguing project for Apple TV+.
The Essex Serpent is being produced for Apple by See-Saw Films, the production company behind Shame and the Oscar-winning The King’s Speech.
It’s the second time See-Saw Films has brokered a deal with Apple TV+. The company is also working on the spy series Slow Horses, starring Gary Oldman.
There’s no word on when either of these properties will make their way to Apple TV+ screens.
Source: Vogue
