First published nearly a century ago, Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms is arguably one of the best American novels of the 20th century. Considering it’s about to be turned into a movie starring one of the biggest up-and-coming Hollywood stars, it’s safe to say the romance story set in the heat of World War I is just as impactful now as it was in 1929. Speaking of that upcoming book-to-screen adaptation…
If this is the first you’re hearing about the latest adaptation of A Farewell to Arms, which will see The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Tom Blyth take on one of Hemingway’s most enduring characters, worry not, for we are about to break down the upcoming movie. Here’s what we know so far…
What Is The A Farewell To Arms Release Date?
We do not know when A Farewell to Arms will make its way to the big screen, but it most likely won’t be released until late in the 2024 movie calendar at the very earliest. Only one member of the cast has been announced at the time of this writing and there has been no official word on exactly when production is set to get underway.
That being said, be on the lookout for more news on the release date in the coming weeks and months.
Tom Blyth Is Set To Star In A Farewell To Arms
In December 2023, when it was first announced that A Farewell to Arms was being adapted for the screen, Variety announced that Tom Blyth would be leading the film’s cast as Lieutenant Frederic Henry, the young American volunteer ambulance driver at the center of Ernest Hemingway’s novel.
Blyth, whose portrayal of a young Coriolanus "Coryo" Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes received praise from critics, has been on the rise the past few years with appearances in moves like Scott and Sid and Benediction, and this could take him to the next level.
There haven’t been any confirmed additions to the cast list at this early stage in the film’s development, but that will certainly change very shortly. Classic characters like Catherine Barkley, Lieutenant Rinaldi, and various others will all need to be cast before cameras can start rolling. And, considering Blyth’s place at the top of the list, we could see some big-name Hollywood stars share the screen with the Billy the Kid star.
A Farewell To Arms Follows A Wounded Ambulance Driver Who Falls In Love With A Nurse During World War I
When A Farewell to Arms opens in theaters at some point in the future, it will tell the story of Frederic Henry, an American volunteer ambulance driver who meets and falls in love with a young nurse named Catherine Barkley while being treated in an Italian hospital during World War I. It has yet to be revealed if the movie will stick to the same path as the source material or stray from the course and expand upon its story, but expect to know more about the plot as we get closer to its eventual release.
A Farewell To Arms Is Based On Ernest Hemingway’s 1929 Landmark Novel Of The Same Name
As detailed by Deadline in the announcement for A Farewell to Arms, the upcoming movie is based on Hemingway’s landmark 1929 novel of the same name, one that is not only considered one of the American author’s greatest achievements but also one of the best novels of the 20th century.
The 336-page page novel, while not entirely autobiographical, was inspired by Hemingway’s time in World War I as a volunteer ambulance driver. Those familiar with his 1926 short story titled “In Another Country,” are all too familiar with Hemingway’s experience on the Isonzo Front with the Italian Army, where he suffered an injury and spent a considerable amount of time in a hospital. According to publishing house Simon & Schuster, he wrote dozens of alternate endings to A Farewell to Arms before it was all said and done.
The book has been banned or challenged multiple times over the years since its first publication, according to the American Library Association. The novel was one of many books burned by the Nazis in the 1930s, per the ALA.
Michael Winterbottom Is Writing And Directing A Farewell To Arms
When it comes to adapting and directing A Farewell to Arms, Michael Winterbottom will be the one in charge. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the British filmmaker best known for The Trip (as well as its sequels), 24 Hour Party People, The Killer Inside Me, and A Mighty Heart, will also serve as an executive producer through his Revolution Films in collaboration with Fremantle’s Passenger.
In a statement provided to THR, Winterbottom said he wants the film to “be true to Hemingway’s approach” of treating stories like an iceberg in that they are pared down to the bones with a lot of the power and meaning being beneath the surface.
It should also be noted that A Farewell to Arms is being made with the support of the Hemingway Estate, which could be taken as a good sign.
This Isn’t The First Time Hemginway’s World War I Novel Has Been Adapted For The Screen
Though Michael Winterbottom’s upcoming adaptation of A Farewell to Arms is the first in some time, it will be the third big-screen retelling of the World War I story since Ernest Hemingway’s beloved novel was first published nearly 100 years ago.
In 1932, a short three years after the novel’s debut, Frank Borzage directed the first adaptation, a classic starring Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes in the roles of Frederic Henry and Catharine Barkley, respectively. According to Turner Classic Movies, the film received two Oscars – Best Cinematography and Best Sound Editing – and was up for several more, including Best Picture (Cavalcade won that year).
A quarter-century later, Rock Hudson took on the role of Frederic and Jennifer Jones played Catharine in Charles Vidor’s adaptation of the decorated novel. That year, according to TCM, Vittorio De Sica received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his turn as Major Alessandro Rinaldi, but ultimately lost to Sayonara’s Red Buttons.
There is still a lot we don’t yet know about A Farewell to Arms, but expect that to change in the coming weeks and months. While we wait for more details, now would be a good time to check out our ranking of the best war movies ever made.
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