Madame Tussaud: Why Andy Serkis is planning to direct and produce a television series about a famous French wax model?
A play about Madame Tussaud, also known as Marie, the French wax modeler who established the renowned wax museum, Madame Tussauds, is being co-developed by actor Andy Serkis.
According to reports, Madame! will delve into the little-known tales of the famous artist whose wax sculptures are genuinely one-of-a-kind. The television show will focus on the French Revolution period and how Marie Tussaud immigrated to England before opening her renowned wax museum in London in 1835.
Studying up on Madame Tussaud and her amazing museum
On December 1, 1761, Marie Grosholtz, later known as Marie Tussaud, was born in France. She spent the majority of her early years in Bern before moving to Paris and studying wax modeling with Philippe Curtius, who taught her the subtle but fascinating craft.
Before the French Revolution gained steam, Tussaud taught art to Madame Élisabeth, the sister of Louis XVI, in Versailles from 1780 to 1789.
In 1795, she married the engineer François Tussaud. Despite having two boys together, their marriage was short-lived. Later, in 1802, she traveled to England with her boys and her wax statue models to exhibit her collection of portraits.
Marie Tussaud spent 33 years touring Britain before opening her first permanent exhibit on Baker Street, on the top floor of the “Baker Street Bazaar,” in 1835, according to Britannica. But in 1884, several years after Marie Tussaud’s demise, the wax museum moved to London’s Marylebone Road.
Information about the Madame Tussauds museum
The amazing wax museum features wax sculptures of well-known and infamous celebrities and public leaders. Additionally, it has artifacts from infamous murders that are divided in the Chamber of Horrors. But in 2016, that section of the wax museum was permanently shut down.
Wax figures of everyone can be seen at Madame Tussaud’s, from Adele to Abraham Lincoln! There are successfully more than 190 lifelike statues there. The Madame Tussauds gallery has wax figures of many famous people, including Alfred Hitchcock, Queen Elizabeth II, Bob Dylan, Princess Diana, David Beckham, Dwayne Johnson, Elvis Presley, Ed Sheeran, and countless others. The statues of Benjamin Franklin, Horatio Nelson, Voltaire, and Sir Walter Scott—some of the oldest—have all been preserved.
Know about the impending Marie Tussaud production starring Andy Serkis
In a statement, Andy Serkis reportedly said that the drama they have produced would be “hilariously ridiculous,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. He went on to say:
This is not a traditional period piece; rather, it is a wonderfully outlandish, no holds barred, anarchic, punk escapade created by a fabulously post-truth executioner’s daughter.
Serkis added:
Marie is very clear on one thing: if you’re going to recount your own life narrative, make it interesting, even if you have to make things up, and leave out the uninteresting details.
For the series, Andy Serkis’ Imaginarium Productions and Newen Connect, the distribution division of TF1 Group-owned Newen Studios, have partnered.
The initiative will mainly focus on how a “visionary heroine” defied the expectations of the 18th century, according to Rodolphe Buet, CEO of Newen Connect. The biographical series focuses on the,
‘[Marie Tussaud’s] path as a strong, independent woman trying to create an empire.’
The series’ premiere date has not yet been determined, but Jonathan Cavendish and Marie Guillaumond will produce it.