Yes, you read that right, Helena Bonham Carter is following in Lindsay Lohan’s footsteps to play Elizabeth Taylor. And no, it’s not going to be some dark and quirky interpretation directed by Tim Burton.
However, there IS another Burton involved. The BBC biopic will follow Liz Taylor and her tumultuous relationship with husband Richard Burton. Burton will be played by The Wire’s Dominic West. William Ivory is busy writing the BBC Drama Productions project and Richard Laxton is on board to direct. According to The Wrap, Burton and Taylor will focus on the story of the the pair’s ill-fated appearance in a 1983 revival of Noel Coward’s stage play, Private Lives.
While Lifetime chose first names for the title of their biopic, Liz and Dick, BBC will be going the last names route. BBC’s version will be titled Burton and Taylor. So original, right?
At first I was skeptical of an actress known for playing the Corpse Bride, Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter, Madame Thénardier in Les Miserables and The Red Queen in Tim Burton’s Alice and Wonderland taking on the role of the glamorous, violet eyed Elizabeth Taylor. Bonham deserves credit for her acting versatility beyond roles that are weird and/or terrifying. Helena Bonham Carter was nominated for an Oscar after her performance in The Kings Speech as Queen Elizabeth. The film went on to win Best Picture winner in 2011 and Bonham Carter was neither weird nor terrifying in that role. Perhaps she has just what it takes to play Elizabeth Taylor. While I’m still not sure if she’s a perfect match, Bonham Carter still seems like a much better choice for the role than the fallen starlet Lindsay Lohan.
