Irish writer Shane Connaughton, who works across film, TV, theatre and novels, has been attached to script a mini-series about a young William Shakespeare.
Connaughton came to worldwide attention in 1989 for co-writing ‘My Left Foot’, the adaptation of writer and artist Christy Brown’s life. The film was nominated for five Oscars, including a nomination for Connaughton - which he shared with Jim Sheridan - who was recently bestowed with IFTA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Connaughton’s other previous film credits include 2005 film ‘Tara Road’, an adaptation of Maeve Binchy’s novel which was directed by Gillies MacKinnon and starred Andie MacDowell, Iain Glen, Maria Doyle Kennedy and Stephen Rea. The film was nominated for Best Film at the 2005 IFTA Awards.
‘The Family Shakespeare’ is a planned six-part mini-series that will focus on the famous Bard’s adult life and his constant struggle between family life in Stratford and a flourishing professional career in London, according to Deadline.
Speaking about the project, Shane Connaughton said ‘The Family Shakespeare’ is “ the most exciting project I have ever touched. By all accounts, Shakespeare was an ordinary man, yet there was nothing ordinary about him. Genius may be impossible to explain, but we can always look to where it came from, and that’s what this miniseries will do for audiences.”
Patrice Théroux is executive producing with Leif and Agnes Bristow as well as John Rhys-Davies (‘Lord of the Rings’).
