Earlier this month it was announced that Veep and The Thick of It creator Armando Iannucci is set to follow up his latest film The Death of Stalin with a modern retelling of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, and now comes word that Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, Lion) has been cast as the lead.
Patel is set to take on the title role in The Personal History of David Copperfield, which will offered a modern take on the classic story as Copperfield navigates a chaotic world to find his elusive place within in.
Iannucci is set to pen the script with his regular collaborator Simon Blackwell, who along with Jesse Armstrong and Tony Roche were Oscar nominated in 2010 for their work on In the Loop.
Patel was last seen in 2016’s Lion, which earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and he has recently finished filming his next project Hotel Mumbai, which is set for release later this year. He is currently shooting The Wedding Guest, and also premiered his directorial debut Home Shopper at Sundance.