The extraordinary life of Joseph Merrick, better known as "The Elephant Man", will be brought to the screen once more, thanks to a new BBC drama.
The role has been tackled by major names in the past: Bernard Pomerance's 1979 play The Elephant Man has seen the likes of David Bowie, Mark Hamill, and Bradley Cooper in the role of Merrick, with John Hurt also memorably starring in David Lynch's 1980 film of the same name.
However, the task now comes down to Stranger Things' own Charlie Heaton, in a two-part drama that marks a fresh take on Merrick's legacy, written by Neil McKay.
The Elephant Man will track Merrick's working-class upbringing in Leicestershire, his four years spent in a workhouse, through to his time travelling Britain and Europe as one of the "human novelty" exhibitions that spiked in popularity during the Victorian era.
Furthermore, it will examine his uneasy friendship with Dr Frederick Treves; a man whose humiliating medical examinations left him feeling like "an animal in a cattle market", but who also cared and supported him during the final years of his life. Merrick died in hospital in 1890, aged 27.
“I’m extremely excited and honoured to be given the opportunity to take on the portrayal of Joseph Merrick in the BBC’s adaption of The Elephant Man," Heaton said of the role. "This is such a special role and a challenge for any actor. Joseph has such an incredible story and I can’t wait to go on this journey and bring him to life.”
Filming will take place in Wales, directed by Richard Laxton, and will air next year.
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