Nicholas Nickleby - Film and TV Adaptations

Film and TV Adaptations

In 1977, the BBC Television adapted the novel, directed by Christopher Barry and starring Nigel Havers in the title role, Derek Francis as Wackford Squeers and Patricia Routledge as Madame Mantalini. In 2001, a new film version for British television was directed by Stephen Whittaker, as The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. It was aired on Channel 4 on 8 April 2001.

In 2012, the novel was adapted as a modern drama (with several changes to the plot & characters) for the BBC, filmed in Belfast, Northern Ireland with mainly local actors. The five-part series was titled Nick Nickleby. In this version, the title character is played by Andrew Simpson with Linda Bassett as Mrs Smike, Adrian Dunbar as Ralph Nickleby, Bronagh Gallagher as Mrs Nickleby and Jayne Wisener (Kat Nickleby) also starring. It was aired on BBC One from 5–9 November at 2:15pm. Each episode was 45 minutes long and produced by Indigo Film and Television.

An American silent version was made in 1903, and another silent film adaptation followed in 1912, featuring Victory Bateman as Miss La Creevey and Ethyle Cooke as Miss Snevellici. The first sound film adaptation was released in 1947, starring Cedric Hardwicke as Ralph Nickleby, Sally Ann Howes as Kate, Derek Bond as Nicholas, and Stanley Holloway as Crummles. In 2002, another feature-length film of the story was released. It was directed by American director Douglas McGrath and its cast featured Charlie Hunnam, Anne Hathaway, Jamie Bell, Alan Cumming, Jim Broadbent, Christopher Plummer, Juliet Stevenson, Nathan Lane, Tom Courtenay and Barry Humphries.