‘Rivals’ Producer Happy Prince Options Philippa Gregory’s ‘Wideacre’ For TV

EXCLUSIVE: Fresh off the back of the launch of Disney+’s Rivals, Dominic Treadwell-Collins‘ Happy Prince has optioned another 1980s-written novel, Philippa Gregory‘s Wideacre.

Gregory, who will EP Wideacre, has form for book-to-TV adaptations, having seen The White Queen made into a BBC series and The Other Boleyn Girl become a 2008 movie starring Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman.

Set in the 18th century, Wideacre is the first in a feminist saga trilogy and follows the story of Beatrice Lacey, destined to lose her beloved ancestral estate once she is married. Deeply connected to the land, Beatrice will use any means necessary to protect her heritage and keep control of the estate.

Treadwell-Collins, who runs ITV Studios-backed Happy Prince, plans to take the same approach as he did with Disney+’s Jilly Cooper adaptation Rivals by leading a writers room and producing the series in close collaboration with the writer of the source material. Happy Prince’s Alex Lamb will also produce and Adam Carter is associate producer. No network is attached as of yet.

“These are tomes,” Treadwell-Collins told Deadline of the Wideacre trilogy, which includes The Favoured Child and Meridon, although Happy Prince has only optioned the first book. “They are outrageous books as well as being genius historical fiction with compelling characters and hooky narratives. We have some ideas in how to tell this story for TV.”

Gregory added: “The Happy Prince team have a real understanding of the frustrations of women in the 18th century. Beatrice is a young woman who stands to lose everything, but she shows ambition, passion and a complete absence of scruples to succeed in a world that is completely against her because she is a woman.”

Wideacre was published around the same time as Rivals, the Cooper novel that has just been adapted for Disney+ starring David Tennant, Aidan Turner and Danny Dyer. The series has garnered solid reviews. Treadwell-Collins recently told us about his battle to overcome the innate “snobbery” of UK TV to get it on screen. Happy Prince is also making Sarah Phelps project Daughter for ITV.