Venice, Toronto, New York….so that's all the festival business we have, right? Lucky for movie fans, the answer is no. October brings with it the BFI London Film Festival, and they're now beginning to raise the curtain on what they'll be presenting. And they've got a very fitting capper in the works.
The festival has announced that "Great Expectations" starring a solid cast of Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Jeremy Irvine, Holliday Grainger, Robbie Coltrane, Ewen Bremner, Sally Hawkins and more will close out the fest. Mike Newell directs this latest incarnation of Charles Dickens' famed story, this time adapated by David Nicholls ("One Day," "Starter For 10"), though the big question is if it can stand on its own beside the many previous versions, mostly notably, David Lean's 1946 classic. But so far, it looks promising and potentially strong and we'll be eager to see what Newell — and particularly the cast — bring to the tale.
"Great Expectations" will have its world premiere at TIFF next month but is still seeking stateside distribution. Meanwhile, the BFI London Film Festival runs from October 10-21, with "Great Expectations" opening in the U.K. on November 30th.
