The Child in Time, Ian McEwan’s dark drama, will be adapted by the BBC, starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
While the status of Sherlock might be up in the air in the aftermath of the recent Season 4, it appears that its primary player Benedict Cumberbatch is set to field another prestigious small screen passion project. The international star will reteam with Sherlock platform providers BBC One and Masterpiece to adapt a popular dramatic novel dwelling in a couple’s unfathomable grief.
Deadline reports that Benedict Cumberbatch will serve as star and executive producer for a one-off 90-minute television drama adaption of Ian McEwan’s Whitbread Novel Award-winning 1987 novel The Child in Time. The BBC One small screen event will be directed by Julian Farino (Ballers, Entourage), who works off an adaptation screenplay by Stephen Butchard (The Last Kingdom, Good Cop). Cumberbatch’s SunnyMarch TV, BBC One, Masterpice are co-producing the project, with Studiocanal handling worldwide distribution.
The Child in Time is morose exploration of the worst kind of grief, the loss of one’s child. The story centers on children’s books author Stephen Lewis (Cumberbatch’s presumed character,) whose daughter Kate is abducted on a routine trip to the supermarket (and presumably killed afterwards). The grief over losing her is unbearable, creating an irreparable divide between Stephen and his wife Julie, leading him on a downward spiral of unproductive misery. The novel’s non-linear nature complements its eventual emotional resolution regarding the relative nature of time itself and its primary role in achieving acceptance. The novel rings especially poignant for Cumberbatch, who, earlier in his acting career, appeared in the 2007 film adaptation of McEwan’s novel Atonement. As Cumberbatch explains of his attachment to The Child in Time:
“I read the novel years ago and it stayed with me — profound, beautiful and very moving. Only Ian McEwan could write about loss with such telling honesty. We’re very excited to have Stephen Butchard’s subtle and brilliant adaptation, and in Julian Farino we have an extraordinary director who delivers emotional truth. I’m so proud The Child in Time will be the first drama produced by SunnyMarch TV.”
Author Ian McEwan reciprocated Cumberbatch’s sentiments by citing his own sense of nostalgia, stating:
“[I am] thrilled to have my novel in the hands of such a high level creative team. I have fond memories of Benedict playing a brilliant and key part in the movie adaptation of Atonement. Now, it’s a great honor to have this actor of such immense resource, experience and subtlety in the lead role of The Child in Time.”
For now, Cumberbatch has a plate full of high-profile projects. He’s shooting his part as Thomas Edison in the historical electricity drama The Current War and will fulfill more Marvel Studios obligations when he returns as Doctor Strange in this fall’s Thor: Ragnarok and is likely on the call sheet for the currently-filming Marvel mega-movie Avengers: Infinity War. He’s also voicing the villainous tiger Shere Khan in director Andy Serkis’s distinct film adaptation of The Jungle Book and the Noel-nabbing title character in a new animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Thus, it’s unclear as to when he’ll be fielding The Child in Time.