Wolf Hall author Hilary Mantel's novel on French Revolution to be adapted by BBC
A screen version of 'A Place of Greater Safety' is in production
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Hoping to build on the success of Wolf Hall, the BBC has revealed that it is to adapt another novel by Hilary Mantel.
A screen adaptation of her book A Place of Greater Safety is in the early stages of development, penned by Richard Warlow, who previously garnered praise for his work on Ripper Street, based on the Jack the Ripper murders.
TV executives will be hoping to emulate the success of the six-part Wolf Hall TV series. At its peak, the series drew in 3.9 million viewers, making it one of the BBC’s biggest drama series in over a decade.
Covering the French Revolution, Mantel’s 1992 novel follows the dramatic ebb and flow of power and prestige in the era, and similarly interweaves history with fiction.
The 62-year-old novelist wrote coyly in her author’s note that those looking to distinguish between the two should follow the guiding principle that “anything that seems particularly unlikely is probably true”.
A Place of Greater Safety follows the lives of three characters from childhood to the guillotine. Georges Jacques Danton and Maximilien Robespierre are brought together by their mutual friend Camille Desmoulins, who gave the speech that would cause an enraged mob to storm the Bastille prison.
Danton, Desmoulins and Robespierre come together to provoke the enormous social and political upheaval that alters the course of French and European history.
Mantel has revealed that she began writing the novel during the 1970s only to lose interest and came back to complete it in 1991.
Those involved in its adaptation have so far refused to reveal details, including which actors will be involved or when it hits our screens.
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