It has been announced today that Matthew Lewis has been cast in a new film, The Brontes, which, according to their Twitter description, is “the first big-budget, English language, feature-length biopic film of the Bronte siblings.” Their Facebook also has a date of April 2016 attached to the film, but release dates are always subject to change.
Matt has been cast as Branwell Bronte, the only male sibling in the story. IMDB has a short description of the story, which is as follows:
After moving to Haworth in 1820 and following the premature death of their mother, the young Bronte siblings Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne begin to lose themselves in writing fiction as their father, the local vicar, struggles to keep the family together. When the sisters’ novels, published under male pseudonyms, become world-famous they must learn to balance their fame and their new-found wealth with their anonymity.
Wikipedia has a short page with information on Branwell if you want to brush up on your history. He was a painter, a writer and a poet, the only son of the Brontë family.
The film’s director and writer, David Anthony Thomas, had this to say of the casting: I’m really excited to be working with Matthew Lewis on The Brontes. Matthew’s been my first choice to play Branwell Bronte since we first started working on the production and I’m delighted that he’s agreed to play the role.
We will of course keep you updated as more information is revealed!
Matthew Lewis in a film about the Brontes.
This must be heaven.