Radcliffe’s Quiet On The Western Front

Harry Potter star leaps into WWI drama

Radcliffe's Quiet On The Western Front

by Helen O'Hara |
Published on

Where next for the Harry Potter crowd? Well in Daniel Radcliffe's case at least, he'll be in the trenches of northern France, as he signs up for a new adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Fron****t, the classic World War I novel by Erich Maria Remarque.

The once-and-future Potter will play Paul in the film, who begins the story as an idealistic schoolboy who is talked into enlisting in the German army in 1914 by his jingoistic teacher. So far, so Starship Troopers - but as he and his group are devastated by War and increasingly aware of the moral and political uncertainties of their cause, they become confused and disillusioned with the whole thing. In fairness, spending four years in the trenches of World War I would have that effect on practically anyone.

The novel is an anti-war (or at least anti-War) classic, originally adapted in 1930 to Best Picture and Best Director winning effect - so no pressure then. The new adaptation has been written by Ian Stokell and Lesley Paterson, who are also producing, but no director or other cast members have been announced yet. We'll let you know more on that as we get it - but with shooting not due to begin until 2012, there's a bit of time between now and then.

As for Radcliffe, he's now completed shooting on both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and he'll be appearing on Broadway (clothes on this time, but singing and dancing included as standard) in How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in 2011, after a couple of years of voice and dance classes on the side of Potter. Do you think he'll be ready to get his teeth into something meaty after that?

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