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Keira Knightley was supposed to star in the latest cinematic rendition of the bestselling novel The Essex Serpent in the lead role. Yet she subsequently withdrew from the project stating a few reasons two years ago.
The Academy Award nominee was originally slated to play Cora, a widow with a deep interest in fossils who became attracted to the idea of a mythological serpentine creature dwelling in the county in the adaptation.
The role was later picked up by former Homeland star and Emmy-winning actress Claire Danes. The series is now set to premiere this Friday, May 13, 2022, on Apple TV+.
Why was Keira Knightley replaced in The Essex Serpent?
According to the Daily Mail, a spokesperson for Knightley stated at the time:
“There wasn’t a comfortable scenario for Keira that could be put in place for an extended period of childcare required for the four-and-a-half-month production.”
This situation arose because Covid-19 cases were drastically increasing in the UK, and additional lockdown rules were also imposed.
Another valid reason the actress had to choose to drop out of the esteemed project was out of childcare worries for her two kids, Edie and Delilah, who were both very young.
Though it goes without saying that after back-to-back starring in stellar period dramas like Pride and Prejudice, Anna Karenina, and Atonement, no one was better suited for this bestselling novel on television.
Yet her ardent fans supported her decision to choose her family's welfare and safety during that time, as one tweeted:
"Good for her. Everything is unstable and unpredictable right now and she has a family to think about that she could be separated from and unable to support."
Another fan also chimed in with a similar sentiment, saying:
"Good for her. Common sense prevailing. [No one] should be filming right now."
Knightley dropping out of the project had brought the shooting process of The Essex Serpent to a long halt until Claire Danes stepped in to fill her shoes.
More about The Essex Serpent
Directed by Clio Bernard, the drama series is based on Sarah Perry's 2016 award-winning novel. In the story, Cora (played by Claire Danes) is a recently widowed woman who relocates from Victorian London to the little Essex village of Aldwinter after being liberated from an abusive marriage.
She became attracted to a local legend that the Essex Serpent, a mythical beast of Blackwater, has returned to the area. She'll also contact the trusted priest of the county, Vicar Hill (played by Tom Hiddleston), who keeps the rumors of this beast in check.
While they jointly set out on a journey to discover the creature, they fell in love, and their affair put Cora at the heart of a witch hunt to appease the serpent.
Don't forget to catch The Essex Serpent on Apple TV+ this Friday, May 13, 2022.
