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Daily News
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Sony Shouts at Twist
Roman Polanski's version of Oliver Twist set to star Ben Kingsley and
Barney Clark.
Wednesday, May 5, 2004
By Mark Umbach
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As Roman Polanski prepares to film his big screen adaptation of Charles Dickens'
Oliver Twist, it has been announced that Sony Pictures has acquired North
and South American distribution rights to the project. Polanski's France-based
RP Prods., Italy's Medusa, the U.K.'s Runteam and the Czech Republic's Etic
are financing and co-producing the film, which will begin production in Prague
in July and will be released by Sony in 2005.
Ronald Harwood, who along with Polanski won an Oscar in 2003 for working on
The Pianist, adapted the latest version of the Oliver tale. Set
in 19th century London, the story focuses on an orphan, Oliver (Barney Clark),
who becomes involved with a band of child pickpockets. Oscar winner Ben Kingsley
has been cast as Fagin, the leader of the pickpocket ring, while Jamie Foreman
will play the Artful Dodger, who shows Oliver the ropes. Frank Finlay will take
on the role of Mr. Brownlow, who eventually saves Oliver from the streets.
Robert Benmussa and Alain Sarde, who also worked with Polanski on The Pianist,
will be back to produce Oliver. The tale has been brought to the screen,
both big and small, several times in the past. Perhaps the best known Oliver
Twist adaptation was the musical Oliver!, which was directed by Carol
Reed and released in 1968. That version won five Oscars, including trophies
for Best Picture and Best Director for Reed.
Oliver has already been picked up for distribution by Pathe in France
and the U.K., by Tobis in Germany, by Filmax in Spain and by Toshiba in Japan.
The Sony deal was announced by Jeff Blake, vice chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment
and president of worldwide marketing and distribution for the Columbia TriStar
Motion Picture Group.
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