CASTING Dev Patel as the titular character in The Personal History of David Copperfield felt "very natural", said its director.
Speaking to BBC News at the film's Toronto premiere, Armando Iannucci said he couldn't think of any other actor to play the role of David Copperfield.
"When I wanted to make David Copperfield, I instantly thought of Dev," the director said on Thursday (5) in a Q&A following the movie's world premiere. "Because he has those qualities of naivety, awkwardness, and yet strength at the same time. And he instantly was, for me, David."
Iannucci, who is best known for his political satire Veep and The Thick of It, said he did not have an alternate plan if Patel had said no to the project. "And he said yes, thankfully, because I couldn't think of anyone else, I didn't have a plan B."
The director added: "And I also wanted it to feel contemporary, although it's set in 1840. For the characters in it, it's the present day, so it should feel like the present day, and feel reflective of now. I didn't want to feel bound by how you make a costume drama."
Patel, meanwhile, praised Iannucci's choice to cast the right faces, saying young children in schools will hopefully find a face they can relate to.
Patel said: "For me, I just think back to my younger self and what he would think about older Dev being able to be part of this movie with this cast, and I feel so lucky, and I want that opportunity to extend to my peers as well, because this is why we do it. We don't do storytelling and exploring to be put in boxes, we do it to be free and live dreams so we can put them on screen."
The latest adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic also includes Peter Capaldi, Rosalind Eleazar, Tilda Swinton, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Benedict Wong.
The Personal History of David Copperfield will play at the London Film Festival next month before its 2020 release.
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL (L) with Rosella Miccio. (Photo: Davide Preti)
