Six-Part LES MISERABLES Miniseries Coming to Television

Variety reports that Weinstein Television and the BBC will collaborate on a new version of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. Andrew Davies, who recently adapted "War & Peace" into a BBC and A&E miniseries, will pen the six-part series from BBC Studios and Lookout Point for BBC One in association with Weinstein TV.

Hugo's 1500-page novel has been turned into both a film and long-running stage musical and follows "French convict Jean Valjean and his struggles to escape his past while being hunted for years over a parole violation by Inspector Javert, set against the backdrop of the uprising of 1832."

In a statement, Davies commented, ""LES MISERABLES is a huge iconic title. Most of us are

familiar with the musical version which only offers a fragmentary outline of its story. I am thrilled to have the opportunity of doing real justice to Victor Hugo at last by adapting his masterpiece in a six hour version for the BBC."

Added The Weinstein Company co-chairman Harvey Weinstein, "Victor Hugo's 'LES MISERABLES' is one of the greatest novels of all time - and while the musical is one of my favorites this will be completely different. An intense and serious drama that will find contemporary relevance to what's going on in the world today. I'm thrilled to be reunited with Faith Penhale and Simon Vaughan, my partners from 'War & Peace,' with Charlotte Moore from the BBC, and of course, with Andrew Davies who wrote 'War & Peace.' I think the BBC and Weinstein Television collaboration are a new paradigm in the telling of classics - they're modern and yet respectful. And, with the exception of James Bond, nobody does it better than Andrew Davies."

Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content said: "Andrew Davies' extraordinary skill for adaptation will bring the world famous LES MISERABLES into powerful focus for a modern audience with a multi-layered re-telling of Victor Hugo's masterpiece. BBC One viewers can expect the same quality and scale from the team behind 'War & Peace' in this epic tale of redemption and the healing power of love."

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The musical Les Miserables is based on the novel Les Miserables by French poet and novelist Victor Hugo. Premiering in Paris in 1980, it has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg and original French-language lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, alongside an English-language libretto with accompanying English-language lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. The London production has run continuously since October 1985 - the longest-running musical in the West End and the second longest-running musical in the world.

The Broadway production opened in March 1987 and ran until May 2003, closing after 6,680 performances. It is the fifth longest-running Broadway show in history and was the second-longest at the time. The show was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and won eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. A Broadway revival opened in 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre and closed in 2008, and a second Broadway revival opened in 2014 and is currently running at the Imperial Theatre.

In 2012, a film adaptation from Universal Pictures hit theaters. Directed by Tom Hooper, and scripted by William Nicholson, Boublil, Schönberg, and Herbert Kretzmer, the film starred an ensemble cast led by Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Hathaway won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Image courtesy of Les Miserables Broadway Official Site