Audible has announced an exclusive deal with Oscar winning director Sam Mendes (Skyfall, 1917, American Beauty), which will see him executive produce audio dramas of three of the most-loved Dickens’ titles. Brought to life by an all-star British cast to Audible in November 2022, the first instalment in the collection will be a retelling of Oliver Twist. Two further titles will follow in 2023.
“The London headquarters of Audible sit on the very streets where Charles Dickens walked, and from which he drew many of his astonishing array of characters. It seems like a perfect marriage – the most prolific storytellers of our age, with the greatest storyteller of all time. I’m delighted to be working with Audible to bring some of my favourite Dickens novels to life, using the vibrant sounds of London to create an immersive sense of the city, and a fantastic collection of actors to create the timeless characters who inhabit it. This will truly be a cinema for the ears – a chance to experience the extraordinary and kaleidoscopic world of Dickens in a whole new way.”
Sam Mendes
Audible studios are located moments away from locations described by Dickens, including Fagin’s den, where Oliver lived. This is near the studio, in Saffron Hill. Elsewhere, Foley recordings will captured on location in Rotherhithe, inside and surrounding an old pub that dates back to Dickens’ era.
The all-star and diverse cast will be announced later in the year.
“It is an honour to collaborate with Sam Mendes on his audio debut. The casting is extraordinary and we cannot wait for him to bring his celebrated style to three much beloved Dickens classics. Oliver Twist, the first title releasing later this year, is sure to be an epic family audio listening event for the holidays”
Aurelie De Troyer, Senior Vice President of International English Content at Audible
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