New TV mini-series about the life of ‘Gone with the Wind’ star Vivien Leigh announced

Details of a new TV drama about the “personal and professional successes and struggles” of Vivien Leigh have been revealed.

English actress Natalie Dormer, best known for her roles in Game of Thrones, The Hunger Games and The Tudors, will develop and produce in the series. She’ll also be playing Leigh on screen.

Born in 1913 to English/Irish parents in India, Vivien Leigh won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice – first for her her role as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind and later for her performance as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.

She was married to actor Laurence Olivier from 1940 to 1960 and suffered from bipolar disorder. She died in 1967, aged just 53, following bouts of chronic tuberculosis.

Creative director Christian Vesper at FremantleMedia told Deadline: “The story of the legendary movie star will be a compelling exploration of the woman who was transcendently known for some of the most memorable screen performances of all time.”

Executive producers Sally Haynes and Laura Mackey added: “We are incredibly excited to be collaborating with the brilliant Natalie Dormer to play an iconic star like Vivien Leigh and to bring this extraordinary unknown story to a wider audience.”

Natalie Dormer can currently be seen in the new TV adaptation of Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Written by Churchill’s Secret screenwriter Stewart Harcourt, each episode of the Vivien Leigh mini-series will focus on a different one of her projects on film and stage, exploring “issues of mental health, career, female empowerment or the lack thereof, and love.”

The series is expected to premiere in 2019.