Margaret Thatcher big-budget biopic in works from makers of Poldark and Vanity Fair
A BIG-budget biopic of Margaret Thatcher is being made for TV by the team behind Poldark and Victoria.
The series, simply titled Thatcher, aims to fill the void left by Netflix’s The Crown ending this month.
Filming is due next year, most likely for ITV or BBC, and casting is yet to begin.
A TV insider said: “This is destined to be a particularly glossy show which already has acclaimed creatives attached.
“The Crown showed a real fascination among viewers with statecraft — the management of public affairs — in which Maggie was an expert.
“It devoted an entire series to the Thatcher years, with Gillian Anderson playing the PM, and they turned out to be some of its most popular episodes.”
The series is being made by Mammoth Screen, a production firm part of ITV Studios.
The team has also made other dramas including Endeavour and Vanity Fair.
Mrs T was portrayed by Meryl Streep in 2011’s The Iron Lady. Others to play her include Lesley Manville, Greta Scacchi and Lindsay Duncan.
Next year marks the 45th anniversary of Mrs Thatcher becoming the UK’s first female PM.
She held the role until 1990, and died aged 87 in 2013.
Meanwhile, The Crown is likely to return in a new form — either as a prequel to the Elizabeth II years, or as films.
ITV Studios declined to comment on Thatcher.