The Oxford-born actor Hugh Laurie has reportedly been roped in to adapt the legendary English writer Agatha Christie’s detective-fiction novel ‘Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?’, which was published in the year 1934.
Besides writing the novel for the small screen, Laurie is also said to direct, and executive produce the three-part mini-series for the online streaming platform Britbox. Although his involvement in the series as an actor is not yet confirmed. The show’s casting is also yet to be zeroed in. The mini-series adaptation is being targeted for a 2022 release.
The original novel ‘Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?’ follows the adventures of a man named Bobby Jones, who fortuitously finds a dying man on a golf course. Bobby finds a photograph inside the dying man’s pocket. And along with his lady friend, he undertakes to solve the mystery of the dying man’s last words “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?”.
The multi-talented actor-writer-director Hugh Laurie is best known for starring in the titular role of the revered television medical drama ‘House M.D.’. He was awarded two consecutive Golden Globe Awards for his performance as the eccentric genius in the show.
His third Golden Globe award was for another mini-series called ‘The Night Manager’, which featured ‘Loki’ actor Tom Hiddleston in the lead role. Also, not many know that Laurie is also the author of the novel ‘The Gun Seller’, which was published in 1996.
Incidentally, this would not be the first time Agatha Christie’s novel ‘Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?’ has been adapted for the screen. Previously it was translated into a feature-length Marple episode back in the year 2011 and earlier in the year 1980. Besides, with Laurie being a diehard fan of the novel and considering his cinematic aptitude, is bound to do justice with the adaptation.
In one of his statements regarding the adaptation, Laurie said “I loved this book as a nipper and still do. The hairs on the back of my neck haven’t properly settled down from the first time I grasped the beauty of the essential mystery. Since then, I have fallen deeper and deeper in love with the characters, and feel immensely honored to have been given the chance to retell their story in this form. I will wear a tie on set, and give it everything I have.”
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