Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe is to star in a big-screen version of West End classic The Woman in Black
Produced by Hammer Films, Daniel Radcliffe will take the lead in the film as the young lawyer who finds himself immersed in a ghostly mystery. The film will go into production later this year for a 2011 release date.
The movie has been adapted from Susan Hill’s blockbuster novel byJane Goldman, wife of TV star Jonathan Ross and writer of recent box-office hit Kick-Ass. The director will be James Watkins, who directed horror film Eden Lake.
Radcliffe said: “I am incredibly excited to be part of The Woman In Black. Jane Goldman’s script is beautifully written – both tender and terrifying in equal measure. It is thrilling to be working with James Watkins. From his brilliant work on Eden Lake and also having met him and heard his vision for the film, I know he will make a fantastic film.”
The Woman in Black has been scaring audiences at the Fortune Theatre in the West End for over 20 years and currently stars Orlando Wells and Michael Mears. It is directed by Robin Herford, whose production of The Secret of Sherlock Holmes has just opened at the Duchess Theatre in London.
With the wrapping of the final Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Daniel Radcliffe is committing to a number of new projects including the starring role in musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway next Spring.
In The Woman in Black, a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps, is ordered to travel to a remote village to arrange a recently deceased client’s papers. As he works alone in the client’s isolated house, Kipps begins to uncover tragic secrets, his unease growing when he glimpses a mysterious woman dressed only in black. Shunned by the local people, Kipps is forced to uncover the true identity of the Woman in Black on his own, leading to a desperate race against time when he discovers her true intent.
SPECIAL OFFER: Save £20 on tickets to The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre in London
question is whether they can make it as scary as the stage play.
Can’t quite see a film manage to ramp up the terror to the point that half the audience screams the house down at the sound of a rocking chair.