Natalie Dormer has starred in The Tudors and Game of Thrones, so a role where she portrays a traditional monarch is no sweat for her. Fans will soon get to see if portraying acting royalty will be a breeze for Dormer as well, as she's officially attached to a new series to play legendary actress Vivien Leigh. Dormer will step into the shoes of the Gone With The Wind actress during some of the most iconic roles of her career in a new television series that sounds like it could be a big hit.
The Vivien Leigh series doesn't have a name or episode count at the present, but some details about the show's concept and plot have already been revealed. Deadline reports each episode of the upcoming series will feature Dormer as Leigh during a specific role in her career. That means there may be an episode centered around Gone With The Wind, A Streetcar Named Desire, and/or any of the other films Leigh was a part of during her career. The series will also focus on Leigh's life as an actress in the early years of Hollywood, her mental health, fame, and her 20-year marriage to famous actor Laurence Olivier. Given the latter subject the series will focus on, it wouldn't be all that surprising if one of the episodes featured Leigh on the sets of Fire Over England and That Hamilton Woman, both of which she starred in alongside Olivier.
The Natalie Dormer led series is being written by Stewart Harcourt whose past works include the Michael Gambon led Churchill's Secret and the short-lived television series Jericho. The series will draw inspiration from the various archival footage and films the actress has made, and will also take some bits from the 2013 biography of the actress written by Kendra Bean. The show is being developed and produced by FremantleMedia and Mainstreet Pictures, and there are confirmed plans for the series to be released internationally.
Natalie Dormer and audiences will both have quite a time diving into the life of Vivien Leigh, as the two-time Oscar-winning British actress certainly had her share of success and struggles in Hollywood. Leigh's difficult and sometimes erratic behavior was believed to be linked to her suffering from bipolar disorder, which was not as greatly understood during her career as it is now. Dormer will have quite a task recreating the award-winning performances of Leigh as well as what was happening behind the scenes at the same time, although given her past work in Hollywood few should have any doubt that she's capable of pulling it off.
The Natalie Dormer led Vivien Leigh series is still in development and does not have a release date or network at this time. For a look at some television shows that do have upcoming premiere dates, be sure to head on over to our summer premiere guide.
