How many Great Expectations adaptations have there been?
The BBC has a new adaptation of the classic Dickens novel - but how many others have there been?
A brand new version of Great Expectations is airing on BBC One - but you may feel like you have been here before.
This is perhaps because not only was there a BBC adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel back in 2011, but there have been many other adaptations over the years, both on film and on TV.
This new adaptation stars Fionn Whitehead and Olivia Colman and has been written by Steven Knight, but who else has starred in previous versions, how many have there been and what are some of the most famous versions?
Read on for everything you need to know about the previous film and TV adaptations of Great Expectations.
How many adaptations of Great Expectations have there been?
There have been a total of 14 adaptations of Great Expectations - nine films and five TV projects.
This is of course not counting the many stage adaptations of the novel, through from a 1939 version which starred Alec Guinness to a 2022-2023 one-woman show starring Eddie Izzard.
What are some of the most notable Great Expectations adaptations?
1917 film - The first filmed adaptation of Great Expectations starred Jack Pickford and was directed by Robert G Vignola.
1946 film - David Lean's film, which won two Academy Awards and was critically acclaimed, starred John Mills, Bernard Miles, Sir Alec Guinness, Finlay Currie and Martita Hunt amongst others.
1954 series - The first television adaptation was a two-part series which aired as part of the Robert Montgomery Presents series. It starred Roddy McDowall and Estelle Winwood.
1983 animated film - This animated film was directed by Alexander Buzo and featured the voices of Phillip Hinton, Liz Horne, Robin Stewart and Bill Kerr.
1989 two-part TV film - This two-part adaptation aired on the Disney Channel in the US and starred Anthony Calf, Jean Simmons, John Rhys-Davies, Ray McAnally and Kim Thompson, while Sir Anthony Hopkins played Magwitch.
1998 film - This contemporary adaptation was helmed by Gravity director Alfonso Cuarón, was set in modern-day New York City, and starred Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert De Niro and Anne Bancroft.
2011 series - The most recent BBC adaptation was a three-part series starring Douglas Booth as Pip, Gillian Anderson as Miss Havisham and Ray Winstone as Magwitch.
2012 film - One of the most recent film adaptations of the novel was directed by Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), and starred Jeremy Irvine as Pip, Helena Bonham Carter played Miss Havisham and Ralph Fiennes played Magwitch.
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Great Expectations airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Sunday 26th March. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
