"I am strange." "Indeed..." This is the first trailer for the BBC adaptation of "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell", based on Susanna Clarke's best-selling book.
Bertie Carvel and Eddie Marsan are Strange and Norrell, respectively. The two revive long-lost magic to aid in the war against Napoleon in an alternate early-19th century England. The trailer, released over the weekend, is a gothic confection of shadows and candlelight, ravens and fairies, swirling fog and horses made of sand.
Inevitably, all is set to the spine-tingling shiver and roaring bombast of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt" -- music you probably recognise from the rowing scene in "The Social Network", the Alton Towers advert, or anything else attempting to suggest that it's a bit goth.
The novel took 10 years to write and was an instant success on publication in 2004. It reached No. 3 on the New York Times best-seller list, was in the running for the 2004 Man Booker Prize and won the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Novel.
Directed by Toby Haynes from "Doctor Who" and "Sherlock" and adapted by Peter Harness, who previously adapted the Wallander novels for British television, "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" will appear on BBC One and BBC America this year.
Discuss: See history get magical in 'Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell' trailer
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