Tulip Fever is an upcoming film directed by Justin Chadwick and produced by Alison Owen. The screenplay, by Sir Tom Stoppard, is adapted from a novel by Deborah Moggach. The film is scheduled to be released on July 15, 2016 by The Weinstein Company.
Set in the Netherlands in the early 17th century, during the period of the Tulip mania, an artist (Dane DeHaan) falls for a married young woman (Alicia Vikander) while he’s commissioned to paint her portrait by her husband (Christoph Waltz). The two invest in the risky tulip market in hopes to build a future together.
The film was originally planned to be made in 2004, with Jude Law and Keira Knightley as lead actors and John Madden as director. However, the production was halted as a result of changes in tax rules affecting film production in the UK. On 8 July 2013, the Daily Mail’s journalist Baz Bamigboye, reported that Justin Chadwick would direct the film with Alicia Vikander attached to star in the role of Sophia and Matthias Schoenaerts was being sought for the male lead role. Along with producers Alison Owen and Harvey Weinstein, Chadwick decided to cast Vikander for the film. In 2014, Alison Owen partnered with Harvey Weinstein to restart the film after re-acquiring the rights to the film from Paramount Pictures. Steven Spielberg had originally offered to buy the film rights. Dane DeHaan, Alicia Vikander and Christoph Waltz were cast in the lead roles of Jan Van Loos, Sophia and Cornelis Sandvoort. Judi Dench was cast as The Abbess of St. Ursula, who takes in orphaned children. Other cast members include Holliday Grainger,[ Jack O’Connell, Cara Delevingne,Matthew Morrison (who replaced first choice Harry Styles), Tom Hollander, Cressida Bonas (Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend)and David Harewood. Deborah Moggach also appears in the film, playing “Woman Smoking Clay Pipe and Drinking Glass of Beer”, when at Pinewood Studios with Cressida Bonas. The crew of Tulip Fever includes cinematographer Eigil Bryld, production designer Simon Elliott, costume designer Michael O’Connor, hair and make-up designer Daniel Phillips and editor Rick Russell. Tom Stoppard has adapted the screenplay for the film. The London-based Welsh portrait artist Jamie Routley did the original portraits that are seen in the film
