This interview contains discussion of Great Expectations plot and ending (Can a one-hundred-and-fifty year old story be spoiled?
Well leave that up to you).
Director Mike Newell certainly cant be accused of retreading the same old ground.
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You and Susie Figgis put together quite an extraordinary cast for this adaptation.
Everyone seems to be saying that Miss Havisham is the role Helena Bonham Carter was born to play…
They didnt at the time.
What was the initial reaction to her being cast?
And Helenas perfect for it.
Did he take any convincing to agree to the role?
But other people are converted, and I like him.
I like him because hes thought it through.
Again, some people say that this adaptation isnt Dickensian enough.
or Food Glorious Food!.
The hammy am-dram stuff, that would have been lovely.
Right, I would love to have got that whole disastrousHamletin.
I would have loved that.
And Orlick of course.
Traditionally, Orlick always goes.
Hes not in the Lean.
Heisin this latest BBC television one.
Yes, absolutely, rampaging.
The logic was that he built it all around these three points of view on the story.
It is, and its hardly ever done on screen.
Oh the Aged Ps wonderful.
You know, he swears Pip to secrecy.
And its mad; its mad in the way that Dickens can be.
There were budget problems werent there?
They would never tell me what the budget was because they didnt know.
I only found out about four weeks ago, and we were constantly, desperately treading water.
So we couldnt afford Cairo, and actually Cairo was then rather dangerous.
We tried for Malta but then we couldnt afford Malta too many airfares.
Returning to the David Lean film, your opening is very similar to his.
Yes, we did.
We started originally with Miss Havishams wedding day, but I finally got nervous of that.
We hear much these days about bold reimaginings and audacious retellings of classic stories.
How then, would you respond to claims that yourGreat Expectationsis overly conventional, cautious even?
That must be a perfectly reasonable thing to say.
I wont defend it.
If thats what it is, then thats what it is.
What I felt was… What I really felt was that in some ways its a story that has to do with destiny.
I havent seenMadame Bovary, notMadame Bovary, the recent one…
Anna Karenina?
Anna Kareninayes, and I dont know, thats obviously a case in point.
As were near the end of our time, can I ask about a couple of your future projects?
What about the adaptation of Ian McEwansOn Chesil Beachyou inherited from Sam Mendes?
Thats still alive and my God I would love to doChesil Beach.
But again the problem withChesil Beachis money.
You simply cant make a decent film for two or three million dollars.
The French period film?
Yes,Bel Ami.
Something close to our hearts is your planned adaptation of John MasefieldsThe Box Of Delights.
Whats the status of that at the moment?
I dont know what children expect.
Its not a Jerry Bruckheimer film.
If he wanted to make it though, would you go for it?
I should be so lucky.
Mike Newell, thank you very much!