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Oscar Winner to Adapt Handel's Messiah Book
19 Nov
Summary
- Walden Media is adapting Charles King's acclaimed book, Every Valley.
- Christopher Hampton, an Oscar-winning screenwriter, will pen the script.
- The film will explore the turbulent historical context of Handel's Messiah.
An Oscar, BAFTA, and Tony Award-winning screenwriter has been tapped to adapt a critically acclaimed historical book for a new film. Christopher Hampton will write the screenplay for "Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel's Messiah," based on Charles King's work.
The book, published recently in 2024, chronicles the complex and often tumultuous world in which George Frideric Handel's "Messiah" was born. It moves beyond a simple origin story to explore the political strife, personal suffering, and societal upheaval of the era, revealing the contributions of various historical figures.
Walden Media will produce and finance the film. Hampton's previous accolades include Oscars for "Dangerous Liaisons" and "The Father," alongside multiple Tony Awards for "Sunset Boulevard." The project aims to capture the epic scope of the book and the transcendent nature of Handel's enduring musical work.
