There are few Hollywood love stories quite as infamous as that of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. A new film based on a book containing the true-life affair is currently in the works, with Sam Mendes potentially eyeing the director’s chair.
Jess Walter’s 2012 novel Beautiful Ruins takes the Burton-Taylor romance, intertwining it with the story of a fictional American actress who heads to Italy during the making of 1963 epic, Cleopatra.
Todd Field had originally been attached to write and direct, but issues with Cleopatra’s licensing caused problems during development. New backers Fox 2000 have now smoothed out the issues for Mendes (Fox own the 1963 film), allowing Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s notorious flop to be included in the project.
While Mendes decides on the directing gig, writing duties will definitely be taken up by Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue, the Emmy-nominated producers behind Amazon’s Transparent.
Mendes is currently attached to direct another book adaptation, The Voyeur’s Motel, and a live-action version of Roald Dahl’s James And The Giant Peach for Disney.