David Heyman Is Bringing “The Long Song” to BBC One

Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts producer David Heyman is adapting Andrea Levy’s historical novel The Long Song into a television drama for BBC One.

The novel, a finalist for the 2010 Man Booker Prize, follows Jamaican slave July as she experiences the Baptist War, the violent end of slavery in Jamaica, and her first taste of freedom. The story is told from July’s own point of view as a memoir of her life with some additional input from her son, Thomas.

Deadline reports that Heyman spoke highly of the novel and the show’s writer, Sarah Williams:

 It’s a novel full of surprise and unpredictable twists, upending any easy stereotypes of slave and master. We’re delighted that writer Sarah Williams has been able to capture the wit and verve of Andrea’s fiercely original heroine, July.

The three-part series will be executively produced by Heyman, Levy, Williams, and Rosie Alison along with Elizabeth Kilgarrif from BBC and will be distributed by NBC Universal International Distribution.

The Long Song is just one of Heyman’s BBC projects. His production Worricker, a crime trilogy about a British intelligence analyst, consisted of three television movies for BBC2. The series also starred multiple other Harry Potter alumni, including Bill Nighy (Rufus Scrimgeour), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), and Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange).  

There is currently not any information available about when we can expect to see The Long Song air on BBC, but hopefully, when it does it will be as well received as his previous projects!