Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1349602
R E B E C C A | P E R S P E C T I V E 5 9 Rebecca, what an absolute treat to design! How on earth do you approach remaking Hitchcock's first Hollywood film, and a film still held in such high esteem? Well, Eric Fellner (Working Title Films) had the ingenious and brilliant idea of taking the revered classic story by Daphne Du Maurier and asking Ben Wheatley to direct. Ben, who is most well-known for his unconventional film style, with such examples as High Rise, A Field in England and the hilarious black comedy Sightseers. Then add into the mix myself, Katie Spencer, Nick Gottschalk and a team well versed in making period feature films. If we were to succeed, it would be the combination of us providing the perfect setting uxtaposed with Ben's grenade style of filming, And of course, brilliant acting in this timeless love story. What an exciting prospect. What potential. The first challenge was to create the largest character in the film, Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again…" Manderley, one of the most famous openings of any book. I knew that this house didn't exist, except in all our imaginings. This house had to be so many things. Ben had a great way of describing it, being like an onion, layer upon layer. Many English country houses have evolved this way, having history running through them, ancient at the core and bending to the will of subsequent generation's ideas and foibles and fancies, creating a quite often surprising uxtaposition of styles and taste. Reaching through to the servants' quarters and out into the grounds. This set a new and fascinating precedent, for once we didn't want this geography. Instead, Manderley had to be discordant and disjointed and this could be shown through the changing architectural styles. A. MANDERLEY LOCATION IMAGE BOARD. B. MANDERLEY EXTERIOR LOCATION. C. MANDERLEY INTERIOR LOCATION. B C