Did you know that Disney are adapting the Shardlake books for TV?

[StrychnineInTheSandwiches]

Oh, I’m excited! This series has been crying out to be adapted for the screen.

And now all we have to do is hope they don’t fuck it up.

What they really should do is involve me in the casting, so they don’t end up casting Channing Tatum or some other muscle bound American hunk as Matthew. And maybe give me script supervisory role too so I can ensure they don’t make too many alterations to the stories.

I'm now glad that the mooted BBC/Kenneth Branagh version never made it into production. I find him quite irritating.

deadline.com/2023/01/disney-adapt-cj-sansom-shardlake-tudor-detective-novels-1235211032/

Ah. Should have read on.

The actor who has been cast as Jack Barak plays Kevin Maxwell in the Tetris film on Apple TV (worth watching). He’s v good in that but I can’t see him as Jack. I have a bit of a crush on Jack and it needs to be someone much more dashing.

Oh-Toby Jones is FAR too old! Wonderful actor of course, but Matthew was late 30s when the series started. And I always imagined him as understatedly good looking in a way he could never see himself....

What about the wonderful Guy? Is he nobody else's favorite?😢

I was really hoping the rumours about a new book were true, but Amazon have no details on it, so it seems unlikely. I wonder how the rumours began, particularly with a so-called comment from Sansom himself about planning even more.

Yes, he's a bit too sad-eyed somehow. Maybe he'll make himself more dashing and rakish through his performance, plus of course costume/make-up/hair/lighting etc will help!

Sad-eyed is it exactly. He also just looks a bit callow. I always imagine Jack as square jawed and lunk-ish, but with a good brain and a twinkle. Kind of Ben Affleck in Shakespeare in Love crossed with young Clooney.