Adrien Brody to Star in History’s ‘Houdini’

Magician Harry Houdini’s life will be explored in the new four-hour miniseries Houdini coming to the History channel. History’s set Oscar winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist) to star as Houdini, with Kristen Connolly (The Cabin in the Woods) in place to play his wife, Bess.

Filming is expected to take place this fall. Uli Edel (The Baader Meinhof Complex) is directing from a script by Nicholas Meyer (The Seven-Per-Cent Solution).

Commenting on the project, Brody said, “Since my childhood, when I dreamed of being a great magician, Harry Houdini has been one of my heroes. His bravery and obsessive determination still fascinate me. Houdini mastered the art of escape – not only from physical chains but from poverty and the social constraints of a humble immigrant origin. His life story appeals to the universal longing for acceptance with which we all can identify. To portray him is beyond an honor.”

“The Great Harry Houdini is a fascinating man in history, and I have no doubt that Adrien Brody will bring the magician’s riveting story to life for our audience,” said Dirk Hoogstra, History EVP and General Manager.

The Plot:

Before David Blaine and David Copperfield, there was one man whose name was synonymous with being the master of illusion and escape – Harry Houdini. Houdini follows the man behind the magic as he finds fame, engages in espionage, battles spiritualist,s and encounters the greatest names of the era, from U.S. presidents to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Grigori Rasputin. The drama will chronicle the life of a man who can defy death through his stunts, his visions and his mastery of illusion.