Armando Iannucci said casting Dev Patel as David Copperfield in his version of the Dickens classic was “not an issue” as he revealed the film would open the BFI London Film Festival.
The Personal History Of David Copperfield, which also stars Tilda Swinton, Ben Whishaw and Gwendoline Christie, will launch the 10-day festival with its European premiere on October 2 in Leicester Square.
The decision to cast Patel, who made his name in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, in the title role has been hailed by critics as a triumph for colour-blind casting but director Iannucci said he just wanted the best actors.
He said: “I could only think of Dev as David Copperfield, I didn’t have a plan B. When I knew I was making the film he was the one and only person I thought could carry it off. It’s not an issue and it shouldn’t be an issue, I just wanted to cast the right people.”
He said the film, based on Charles Dickens’s 1850 novel, had a “hard edge to it” and presented “a rollercoaster of a life”. He added: “There are issues that are still with us like neglect, a troubled childhood, poverty, sudden poverty and homelessness and sudden homelessness.
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“So Mr Micawber, who has come down as this jolly optimistic figure, but in the book and in the film, with a great performance by Peter Capaldi, it is desperate. He is always on the run from debt ... we don’t hide that away and make it sweet entertainment, but also we show the humanity behind it.”
Festival director Tricia Tuttle said Iannucci was one of the country’s “most prodigiously talented and original filmmakers”. She said: “The Personal History Of David Copperfield shows his trademark wit and a joyous sense of style — it’s a delight from start to finish, with Dev Patel and co-stars delivering performances of megawatt charm and comic flair.”
She added that the “wildly entertaining” film is “a timely celebration of the power of generosity and compassion”.
The 63rd BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express runs from October 2 to October 13. The full programme will be announced on August 29
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