BAFTA-winning “The Last King of Scotland” writer Jeremy Brock will adapt independent studio Wiip and India’s Roy Kapur Films’ series based on the book “The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company” by author and historian William Dalrymple. “The Anarchy” will be mounted as an international co-production between Wiip and Roy Kapur Films to be produced across the U.S., U.K., and India. The book tells the story of how one of the world’s most magnificent empires, the Mughal Empire, disintegrated and came to be replaced by the British East India Company – a dangerously unregulated private company based thousands of miles away in a small London office just five windows wide.
The bestselling historical book won accolades as President Barack Obama’s top 10 recommended books and one of The Wall Street Journal’s Best Books of the Year when it was published in 2019.
Executive producers on the project include Wiip’s Paul Lee , Roy Kapur Films’ Siddharth Roy Kapur, and XPat Productions’ Naz Haider. Dalrymple will serve as a creative consultant.
Brock said: “I’m incredibly excited to be able to adapt William Dalrymple’s all-encompassing history of India under the rise of the world’s first global commercial empire. The Anarchy is packed with amazing characters, the highest possible stakes and a contemporary resonance that sees the weaponization of profit on a level that boggles the mind. Dalrymple’s brilliant book has the scale of ‘Game of Thrones,’ the internecine plotting of ‘Succession’ and a true-life intensity that begs to be dramatized.”
Lee added: “We are thrilled to have Jeremy’s unique skills as a storyteller to tell this extraordinary tale of the collapse of the Mughal Empire in India. I know he will use his prodigious talents to get behind the eyes of characters like Mir Jafar and Robert Clive.”
Roy Kapur said: “Jeremy’s unique ability to bring complex historical events to life through the humanity of his compelling characters makes him just the creative driving force needed for ‘The Anarchy.’ William Dalrymple’s epic tale of The East India Company is a story that could not be more relevant to the times we are in, and with Jeremy’s incredible vision we are confident it will transcend cultural and geographical boundaries, resonating with audiences everywhere.”
Brock is represented by Charlotte Knight at Knight Hall Agency Ltd.
