I'm sure The Scapegoat sounds familiar to you. Of course it does, it's Daphne du Maurier‘s 1957 novel. And whenever we have some novel in our report, you immediately know that a big screen adaptation of the whole thing is coming, right? Well, ok then, nothing to be surprised about, so check this out.
According to the latest reports, Brothers And Sisters star Matthew Rhys and Eileen Atkins have signed to star in Charles Sturridge directed project.
Described as a psychological thriller, the script follows the story of a man who meets his perfect double and takes over his life. Or, as director Sturridge already explained:
“I loved the story from the moment I read it and the extraordinary mix of brilliant characters surrounding these mirror image men”. He also added that it was a daunting prospect, trying to bring du Maurier's novel to life on the screen after both Alfred Hitchcock and Nic Roeg had previously done adaptations of the writer's work.
And here's the description of the novel, just in case you're interested in more details:
“Two men, one English, the other French, meet by chance in a provincial railway station and are astounded that they are so much alike that they could easily pass for each other. Over the course of a long evening, they talk and drink. It is not until he awakes the next day that John, the Englishman, realizes that he may have spoken too much.
His French companion is gone, having stolen his identity. For his part, John has no choice but to take the Frenchman's place as master of a chateau, director of a failing business, head of a large and embittered family, and keeper of too many secrets.
Loaded with suspense and crackling wit, The Scapegoat tells the double story of the attempts by John, the imposter, to escape detection by the family, servants, and several mistresses of his alter ego, and of his constant and frustrating efforts to unravel the mystery of the enigmatic past that dominates the existence of all who live in the chateau.”
Sounds interesting enough for you to stay tuned, or what?
