Luke Evans will star in a television adaptation of Elizabeth Day’s The Party, Deadline reports.
Day’s novel, published in 2017 by Little, Brown, centers on two longtime friends: Ben Fitzmaurice, a wealthy politician, and Martin Gilmour, an art critic. The two men and their partners gather at Ben’s vacation home for a birthday party, and the next day Martin is forced to answer questions about the event at a police station. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus wrote of the book, “Day’s latest is a dark, haunting, and elegantly crafted tale of obsession, desperation, devastation, and rebirth.”
Evans, known for his roles in films including The Hobbit and Beauty and the Beast, will play Martin in the adaptation, and Tom Cullen (Downton Abbey) will star as Ben. Other cast members include Joanna Scanlan (The Thick of It), Lydia Leonard (The Crown), Sam Troughton (Chernobyl), and Amaka Okafor (Bodies).
The series, which is being developed by the British network ITV, will be written by Sarah Solemani, who will also star. Viviane Andereggen (Kleo) will direct; Evans, Solemani, and Day are among the series’ executive producers.
Day announced news of the adaptation on Instagram, writing, “Like all good things, it’s been worth the wait. I could not be more thrilled that my novel, THE PARTY, is being adapted for television with an utterly stellar cast.…It was Luke who first read my book and took it to World Productions during the pandemic saying THIS was the part he wanted to play next. It was Luke who championed it every step of the way, despite myriad setbacks and challenges. It was Luke who kept the faith and told me it would happen, even if it eventually took four years. Luke, I love you so much. You are truly a brother from another mother.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
