Many years have passed since acclaimed actor Gary Oldman debuted as writer/director with the uncompromising Nil By Mouth as film that won two BAFTA awards. Well, the good news is that Oldman is developing a biopic of film pioneer Eadweard Muybridge called ‘Flying Horse‘ that he intends to direct early next year.
Oldman is reportedly seeking out his recent co-stars Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter) to play Muybridge and Benedict Cumberbatch (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) to play Harry Larkyns, a famous theater critic killed by Muybridge.
Oldman has already written the script for Flying Horse and may also take on the smaller role of Dennis Spencer, the district attorney who defended Muybridge in his murder trial.
Neither actor is officially attached to the project at this time, but Fiennes has discussed the project with Oldman and is interested in the role. Meanwhile, Cumberbatch is due to film Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak early next year, which is the same time that Oldman is aiming to start shooting Flying Horse.
Muybridge was a pioneer in the world of photography who helped settle a bet for California governor Leland Stanford in the late 1800s. Stanford believed that a horse had all four hooves off the ground at the peak of a gallop, although this could not be detected by the human eye. Using an array of 12 cameras Muybridge helped prove Stanford right, paving the way for the motion picture projector and the film industry as we know it.
Besides, Muybridge is also famous for murdering reputed theater critic Major Henry Larkyns, who was having an affair with his wife, Fiona. The Flying Horse biopic will center on this love triangle.
