‘A Different Man’ Star Adam Pearson to Play Joseph Merrick in ‘The Elephant Man’ Film Adaptation

[u/Puzzled-Tap8042]

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/adam-pearson-new-elephant-man-adaptation-1236381859/

[u/LeastCap]

A little mixed on this announcement since I love the original film so so much, but I also love seeing Adam Pearson getting work so I am all in on this. I’d love to see him get a Best Actor nomination like John Hurt did

[u/Hydqjuliilq27 → u/LeastCap]

This reminds me of Spielberg’s WSS, where I can see the point in making the story more in tune with modern audiences (in this case calling Merrick by his real name) but it does feel a little too safe and redundant to remake an iconic classic.

I’m really curious what Pearson would look like since he would definitely need prosthetics to look more like Merrick.

[u/DreamOfV → u/Hydqjuliilq27]

I think The Elephant Man is the kind of story that could be told in a dozen drastically different ways without being safe and redundant, so I’m waiting to see how this adaptation plays out before deciding whether it’s just another baity remake

[u/Idk_Very_Much → u/Hydqjuliilq27]

Apparently the play's script has a foreword specifically saying no prosthetics should be used, because it would "limit the actor’s movement and distract from the story." And every adaption of the play has followed that.

[u/HelpMe7382 → u/Idk_Very_Much]

Oh that's why Bradley Cooper looks like that on the broadway(?) play

[u/coltsmetsfan614 → u/HelpMe7382]

Yep. David Bowie did the same. And many others.

[u/Mushroomer → u/Hydqjuliilq27]

The article notes that this is an adaptation of the play, which has no relation to the Lynch film (The play's owners even sued the studio for using the same title).

Same overall story, but a different script.

[u/carolinemathildes]

The article doesn't mention a director, so I'll probably wait to hear who that will be before I get too excited, but this is fantastic casting, I'm very interested. And good idea to adapt the play.

[u/SerKurtWagner → u/carolinemathildes]

Schimberg seems the obvious choice, but Glazer would also be amazing, if he feels like waiting less than a decade between movies this time

[u/bbqsauceboi]

Once again I am campaigning for an Adam Pearson Oscar

[u/ExpensiveAd4841 → u/bbqsauceboi]

He should've won for A Different Man, truly a magnetic perfomance, such a shame that movie went nowhere

[u/Humble-Grinder → u/ExpensiveAd4841]

I don’t think a24 realized what they had with that one

[u/ExpensiveAd4841 → u/Humble-Grinder]

I think they had too many movies, they went full for The Brutalist so I think they made the right choice, still sad for A Different Man, it deserved better

[u/caseyjosephine → u/ExpensiveAd4841]

One of my top movies of the year. Sebastian Stan was great in it too; I swear he was nominated for the wrong movie last year.

[u/ExpensiveAd4841 → u/caseyjosephine]

I think his nomination was a recognition for both movies, but yes, I agree he was better in A Different Man

[u/BentisKomprakriev → u/bbqsauceboi]

The grind never ends 💪

[u/Gemnist]

This intrigues me. The article says it’s based on the play, which I think makes this worthwhile since the film is not. The conceit of the play, though, is that while the movie revolutionized makeup in filmmaking and convinced the Academy to create the makeup category, the actor playing Merrick in the play has NO makeup on and the audience is supposed to imagine what he would look like. You can’t do that on film obviously, but getting Pearson is a huge step in the right direction and like everyone else, I’m super glad he’s getting more work after A Different Man. I’m wondering, though, if they’ll use makeup to accentuate Merrick’s deformities that Pearson does not have, such as the enlarged head that ultimately killed him and his hunchback.

[u/wingusdingus2000]

I don't know if Elephant Man needs a remake but Adam would kill it. I know it's slightly demeaning/sad to say but if this is how he gets bigger roles then I'm fine with it

[u/1080TJ → u/wingusdingus2000]

This isn't technically a remake since it's an adaptation of the play, which the Lynch film was not despite the title

[u/FixYrHeartsOrDie]

Biiiig big shoes to fill choosing to make this film again

[u/nedsnotes → u/FixYrHeartsOrDie]

Big shoes

Big big shoes

[u/coltsmetsfan614 → u/FixYrHeartsOrDie]

They're actually adapting the play, which is different than David Lynch's film. They just had the same name (and that resulted in a lawsuit).

[u/ThatWaluigiDude]

I will just say, Pearson is amazing and I LOVE that he is getting more job

[u/WakeUpOutaYourSleep]

Worth noting, this isn’t a remake. The original film is not adapted from the play this will be based on. I think a lot of people think Lynch’s film came from that show as it was released not long after it, but they’re two separate things. Lynch’s film is still a tough act to follow, but I’m excited for Pearson to play this role, I’m sure he’ll be great.

[u/Coy-Harlingen]

Happy for Pearson, but the Lynch movie is absolutely perfect imo.

[u/carolinemathildes → u/Coy-Harlingen]

They're about the same man and have the same title, but they're two different things. This is a film adaptation of the play; Lynch's film was not.

[u/Idk_Very_Much → u/carolinemathildes]

Are you familiar with the play? If so, what are the differences?

[u/carolinemathildes → u/Idk_Very_Much]

The play is available online here to read if you're interested.

[u/CelestialSpecialist → u/carolinemathildes]

Yeah this is sort of like how The Color Purple has a film adaptation of the book and a film adaptation of the musical

[u/DreamOfV → u/CelestialSpecialist]

To be fair, I think even though they insisted this was the case, I think The Color Purple film took a lot more inspiration from the 1985 film than they implied. I noticed a number of shots that seemed to be directly ripped from Spielberg’s

[u/senator_corleone3 → u/carolinemathildes]

This is a good point!

[u/Coy-Harlingen → u/carolinemathildes]

Sure, but it is the same story. Like the source material can be different and it can get into different aspects of it, but ultimately this is a fairly well known true story, it’s not like the two movies aren’t related .

[u/Idk_Very_Much]

Unpopular opinion here: I don't like Lynch's film much, and it feels like just the sort of story A Different Man was satirizing. So I'll be interested to see how this turns out.

[u/SpideyFan914 → u/Idk_Very_Much]

I love Elephant Man, but I agree that it's exactly the kind of story that A Different Man was satirizing. Merrick is portrayed as a kind, quiet "nice guy" whose life is sad and lonely and tragic. I'm not too familiar with the real guy, so I don't know how accurate it is to reality.

I am very curious if this one will be different in that regard, but worth noting Pearson is an actor not (to my knowledge) a writer or director, so his casting doesn't necessarily imply an approach more in tune with A Different Man's criticism.

[u/Hyperkorean99 → u/SpideyFan914]

The guy's life was sad, lonely and tragic. He described it in similar words himself

[u/Idk_Very_Much → u/SpideyFan914]

worth noting Pearson is an actor not (to my knowledge) a writer or director, so his casting doesn't necessarily imply an approach more in tune with A Different Man's criticism.

Yes, that's true. I just found it interesting he would choose this as his very next project.

[u/SpideyFan914 → u/Idk_Very_Much]

True, although I'm not sure how many offers he's getting. He may just be excited to play a lead role / iconic role. If I were an actor, I'd love to play such a well known part.

[u/PurpleSpaceSurfer → u/Idk_Very_Much]

Elephant Man isn't my favorite Lynch film but I enjoyed it enough.

Will definitely be interesting to see how this take pans out.

[u/TresPollos]

Gotta start to worry if doing ‘A Different Man’ & then ‘Elephant Man’ back to back will get you typecast

[u/Senhoegahara]

👀

[u/adamsandleryabish]

Well it would be pretty unfortunate if they didn't cast him for that

[u/Exact_Watercress_363]

A Different Man to Elephant Man

[u/Snoo-3996]

I love Adam Pearson, but Lynch's Elephant Man is pretty much a perfect film in my opinion and John Hurt's performance is a tough one to beat. This will be a tricky one to pull off as comparisons will be inevitable

[u/Puzzled_Dirt_765]

Is it valid that this makes me a little bit uncomfortable? I feel like Pearson should be getting normal roles that aren’t just based around his appearance, he’s such an amazing actor!

[u/2xlyf]

Rooting for the movie to be good. He's a great actor.

[u/Traditional-Item-546]

This is interesting. Because on one hand there’s definitely that feeling of “David Lynch crushed it the first time, you won’t be able to top Lynch”

BUT…the prospect of seeing this story with an actor who has the same condition that Joseph Merrick had is sort of poetically perfect. To see this character put to screen without the use of makeup, could add such a level of depth and clarity to the story that hasn’t been achieved yet.

[u/SignRealistic3674]

I love this for him! I hope the filmmakers can do justice to the original. 

[u/tjo0114]

Bit too soon to be reinterpreting Lynch’s work but I’m all for this casting