Photo : Toronto International Film Festival

An adaptation of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield might seem an odd choice for Armando Iannucci, the gloriously verbose creator of shows like The Thick Of It and Veep, as well as the searing 2017 satire The Death Of Stalin. But, per our own A.A. Dowd, “their sensibilities merge agreeably” in this colorblind take on the source material, which stars Dev Patel as the titular traveler . Now, you can see for yourself how Iannucci’s sweaty, hyper-articulate style dovetails with the prose of Dickens in the film’s first trailer.

Here’s a synopsis:

“The Personal History Of David Copperfield chronicles the life of its iconic title character as he navigates a chaotic world to find his elusive place within it. From his unhappy childhood to the discovery of his gift as a storyteller and writer, David’s journey is by turns hilarious and tragic, but always full of life, color, and humanity.”


Filling out that journey is an impressive supporting cast that includes Tilda Swinton, Gwendoline Christie, Hugh Laurie, Ben Whishaw, and Iannucci regular Peter Capaldi. The film drops in the U.K. on January 10 of next year, though a U.S. date is still forthcoming.