Robyn Candyce
World renowned author J.K. Rowling, best known for the “Harry Potter” book series, has produced another success “The Casual Vacancy.” It’s no secret that the “Harry Potter” books went on to become not just one of the highest grossing book series’ know to date, but that they were also transformed into one of the highest grossing movie franchises in cinematic history. So it should come as no surprise to Rowling fans that the 2012 release of her first adult novel, “The Casual Vacancy”, caused a similar reaction. In the U.K. the novel had the fastest selling rate of any book with-in the past three years of it release date, and sold over 1,000,000 copies in the first three weeks of its public availability.
The story is thought provoking, and at times so true to the current nature of humanity it becomes uncomfortable to take in. Yet, it’s emotionally gripping and seems to really lock in readers, so it was inevitable that someone would want to turn it into a live-action work capable of achieving the same results from its audience. A joint collaboration between BBC and HBO, written by Sarah Phelps (“EastEnders”) and directed by Jonny Campbell (“In The Flesh,” “Doctor Who”), “The Casual Vacancy” will air in America beginning April 29, 2015. The three part mini-series tells the story of a small British town that finds itself in need of someone to fill a seat on the Parish Council after one of the members – Barry Fairbrother – dies unexpectedly. The tale forces its viewers to deal with the reality of human imperfection, and come to terms with the fact that everyone has an impact on somebody else’s life, and that even with the best or worst of intentions that impact isn’t always positive, and it’s not always negative. However, the way someone affects you can be often surprising and quite unexpected. Also worth mentioning is the series’ extraordinary cast featuring Michael Gambon (Howard Mollison/ “Emma,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”), Rory Kinnear ( Barry Fairbrother/“Penny Dreadful,” “The Imitation Game”) and show-stealing newcomer Abigail Lawrie (Krystal Weedon).
Today I had the opportunity to speak on the phone briefly with the mini-series’ director. Campbell discussed receiving a BAFTA for best mini-series “In The Flesh,” Abigail Lawrie’s breakout performance, the importance of being an invisible director, and the discomfort of realizing that labeling yourself as a “good person” really means you’re just simply “not that bad.”
To listen to our phone call, click the link below:
HBO will air the series beginning Wednesday April 29th, 2015 at 8PM.
For more information on “The Casual Vacancy” visit: http://www.hbo.com/#/the-casual-vacancy.
