From ‘Spencer’ to ‘King Richard,’ Directors Dust Off the Past to Reveal Fresh Narratives

We live in a golden age of historical fiction, from Colson Whitehead’s “The Underground Railroad,” adapted for television by Barry Jenkins, to Mark Sullivan’s bestseller “Beneath a Scarlet Sky,” in development by Pascal Pictures, to Hilary Mantel’s novel “Wolf Hall,” adapted into a BAFTA-winning BBC limited series as well as a Broadway and West End hit. That trend embraces Hollywood biopics and fact-based movies, always Oscar favorites, as directors turn to the past to sift clues and comprehend the human condition. As we consider the director contenders, whether they’ve spun stories of individuals or events, they’re refracting the past to… Read Full Article