The History Channel will air a new miniseries about Harry Houdini, starring Adrien Brody (The Pianist) and Kristen Connolly (House of Cards). If you don’t know enough about him to know why to be excited, his occupation according to Wiki: Illusionist, magician, escapologist, stunt performer, actor, historian, film producer, pilot, debunker. Who doesn’t want to watch that show?
Houdini will reportedly “[follow] the man behind the magic as he finds fame, engages in espionage, battles spiritualists and encounters the greatest names of the era, from U.S. presidents to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Grigori Rasputin.” And the man we get to watch do this is Adrien freaking Brody, because after playing a con man in The Brothers Bloom, Salvador Dali in Midnight in Paris, and being generally huggable in The Darjeeling Limited, I have no doubts he could take on the part of illusionist-slash-magician-slash… well, you get it, and totally sell it.
Not to mention Brody himself has named Houdini as one of his heroes, adding
His bravery and obsessive determination still fascinate me. Houdini mastered the art of escape – not only from physical chains, but from poverty and the social constraints of a humble immigrant origin. His life story appeals to the universal longing for acceptance with which we all can identify. To portray him is beyond an honor.
Basically, Houdini will have that underdog-overcomes-all thing going for it, following the eponymous man from poverty to fame, the action-hero thing with his occasional dabblings in espionage, and the general awesomeness that comes from illusions and magic. After the success of History’s similar shows, including The Bible, Vikings, and Hatfields & McCoys, Houdini has some serious potential.
No word yet on when the miniseries will air.
(via ComingSoon, The Independent, image via Wikimedia)
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