Dickensblog

'A Christmas Carol' gets a Bollywood adaptation

Director/producer/writer Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) is the latest to create a musical update of Dickens's Christmas classic. Her Bollywood version, Christmas Karma, will be set in contemporary London and star Kunal Nayyar, Eva Longoria, Boy George, Billy Porter, and Hugh Bonneville. Deadline Hollywood has more.

'The King of Kings' cast reveal

In the upcoming animated film inspired by Dickens's The Life of Our Lord, Kenneth Branagh will provide the voice of Charles Dickens, and Uma Thurman will voice his wife, Catherine. Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit) will voice their son Walter. The Hollywood Reporter has more details.

More on 'London Tide'

Reviews for the new musical based on Our Mutual Friend can be found at The Guardian, Time Out, The Independent, Broadway World, London Theatre, and Financial Times. They're mostly pretty good if not great, with several reviewers admiring the drama but wishing for a little more of Dickens's humor and satire to lighten things up occasionally. Also, WhatsOnStage has a number of photos from the production.

Hear a song from 'London Tide'

Happy opening day to the new British musical London Tide, based on Our Mutual Friend! In honor of the premiere, two videos have been released of the song "Eugene Alone," one performed by cast member Jamael Westman and the other by singer-songwriter PJ Harvey, who co-wrote the score with Ben Power. There's also a lyric sheet available on the page.

Forthcoming film inspired by 'The Life of Our Lord'

Dickens's book on the life of Christ has inspired a South Korean animated feature film titled The King of Kings, in which Dickens and his son Walter "become immersed in the story of Jesus, involving notable friends and foes." The film, currently seeking distribution, is directed by Seong-ho "Jay" Jang and reportedly features "a high-profile voice cast," though no names have been released yet. The Hollywood Reporter has more, including two images from the film.