Is 'Great Expectations' based on a true story? Hulu reimagines Charles Dickens' classic as gritty period drama
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Hulu's 'Great Expectations' is set to teleport the audience to the 19th century and give a new tone to an old tale. The FX productions and BBC's adaptation of the time-tested classic was written for television by 'Peaky Blinders' creator Steven Knight.
'Great Expectations', a six-part limited series, has a stunning ensemble cast that includes Olivia Colman as Miss Havisham, Fionn Whitehead as Pip, Shalom Brune-Franklin as Estella, Matt Berry as Mr Pumblechuck, Hayley Squires as Sara, Johnny Harris as Magwitch, Owen McDonnell as Joe, Ashley Thomas as Jaggers, Djamel Turner as Prisoner, Gerard Cooke as Bowden, Michael Monroe as Lawyer's Boy, Bronte Carmichael as Young Biddy and Tom Sweet as Young Pip.
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Well, this is not the first time that we see Olivia Colman in a period setting. Her recent role as Queen Elizabeth in 'The Crown' had won several laurels.
Is 'Great Expectations' based on a true story?
For those who don't know, 'Great Expectations' was Charles Dickens' thirteenth novel and was published as a serial in the weekly periodical All the Year Round. The novel is of the bildungsroman genre and written in the first-person narrative. Set in Kent and London, the story follows Pip, a young orphan, who grows up as a blacksmith apprentice to Joe, the kind-hearted husband of his ill-tempered sister. Joe gets to know a wealthy spinster named Miss Havisham and falls for her adoptive daughter Estella. However, Estella ends up marrying the abusive Drummle. The novel is a realistic representation of Pip's fall and rise in life.
The novel can also be considered a social commentary on London at the time. From poverty to morality, 'Great Expectations' handles it all, with true Dickensian honesty and wit.
Real-life characters
Although the story might be of Dickens' imagination, several of its characters were said to be based on real-life people from his life. For instance, the strong-willed Estella might be based on his love interest Ellen Ternan, who at first refused to reciprocate his feelings and despised the idea of being his mistress, though she later accepted his love. Miss Havisham is also considered to be influenced by a person in the author's life. In his writings on growing up in London, Dickens mentions a woman who matches the characteristics of Miss Havisham. Besides, the immensely unlikeable Bentley Drummle is said to be based on a publisher named Richard Bentley, whom Dickens had bad blood with.
What is Hulu's adaptation of 'Great Expectations' about?
The official synopsis from Hulu reads, "Great Expectations is the coming-of-age story of "Pip", an orphan who yearns for a greater lot in life until a twist of fate and the evil machinations of the mysterious and eccentric "Miss Havisham" shows him a dark world of possibilities. Under the great expectations placed upon him, Pip will have to work out the true cost of this new world and whether it will truly make him the man he wishes to be."
The first two episodes of Hulu's 'Great Expectations' will be available on the streaming platform from March 26, 2023.