“OUT of Africa” is the latest big-screen classic eyeing a move to TV.

    “Harry Potter” and “Gravity” producer David Heyman is developing a series adaptation of Karen Blixen’s memoir, which also spawned the 1985 Robert Redford-Meryl Streep drama.

    Heyman’s Heyday Television — a joint venture with NBCUniversal International Studios — has acquired the rights to the book, with Oscar winner Susanne Bier attached to executive-produce and direct. Heyday Television’s Nancy Cotton is also on board as an executive producer.

    “‘I had a farm in Africa’ is Blixen’s most famous line. She was a survivor, unpredictable and nonconformist, and a determined explorer,” Heyman said Wednesday in a statement. “We are beyond delighted that Susanne Bier has such a passionate attachment to Karen’s story: with such critically acclaimed work in both film and television, she is the ideal director to transport us to Africa through the eyes of Denmark’s most celebrated writer. And of course, the long form series offers us the chance to explore not only Karen’s world, but also the perspective of the Kenyans she encounters.”

    “Karen Blixen defied the male-dominated world at every turn. Despite heavy resistance, she single-handedly ran her farm in Africa. She felt a greater kinship with the indigenous Kenyan population than any of her class peers. She both found and lost the love for which she had always longed. She has always fascinated me. This opportunity to engage with her enduring legacy is a great challenge and even greater privilege,” Bier added.

    First published in 1937, “Out of Africa” recounts the 17 years that Blixen spent in Kenya during the last decades of the British Empire as she searched to find her role and voice in a changing world. The film, directed by Sydney Pollack, grossed more than US$128 million and won seven Oscars.

    NBCUniversal International Studios president Michael Edelstein said: “We know Heyman and Bier will bring tremendous passion and humanity to this iconic story and look forward to seeing how they expand the narrative into a long running dramatic series.”(SD-Agencies)