Stephen Frears to direct series based on William Dalrymple's 'The Anarchy' for Roy Kapur Films and WIIP

New Delhi: Acclaimed British filmmaker Stephen Frears will tackle the series adaptation of author William Dalrymple's "The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company", to be co-produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur's ‘Roy Kapur Films’.

"The Anarchy" is mounted on a massive scale as an international co-production between US-based studio ‘WIIP’ and ‘Roy Kapur Films’, a press release said.

Frears is best known for movies such as "Dangerous Liaisons", "High Fidelity", "The Queen", "Philomena" and "Victoria & Abdul" as well as shows such as "A Very English Scandal" and "The Regime".

“This is the most contemporary of themes: A ruthless businessman and his corporation seizing power, a group of oligarchs taking over a chunk of the world, asset-stripping, looting, manipulating the stock market, destroying whole economies for their profit. The East India Company stealing India in the 18th Century,” the filmmaker said in a statement.

Dalrymple's book, which was published in 2019, is described as a gripping exploration of the British East India Company’s commercial ambitions in India, which ultimately led to the takeover of an entire subcontinent. The book recounts the rise of the East India Company in the second half of the 18th century, against the backdrop of a crumbling Mughal Empire and the rise of regional powers.

The novel is being adapted for the screen by Walon Green, Amit Bhalla and Lucas Jansen.

Kapur said Frear's range as a filmmaker is unmatched.

“He has directed some of the most beloved films of the last four decades, including some of my personal favourites and to have him come on board to helm this project is an absolute dream come true. Collaborating with our production partners at ‘WIIP’ has been an incredibly enriching experience. This is a story that demanded scale, depth and ambition and I am proud that we have brought an extraordinary team together to bring it to life for a global audience,” the producer said.

"The Anarchy" will be shot across the UK and Asia.