Adam Pearson, best known for his performance in A Different Man, will play Joseph Merrick in an upcoming adaptation of The Elephant Man.

The new film is not a remake of the David Lynch‘s 1980 feature, which received eight Academy Award nominations. This included one for John Hurt as Best Actor. Instead it offers a new interpretation of Bernard Pomerance's Tony-winning play of the same name.

Joseph Merrick was an English artist who gained notoriety in Victorian England for his visible physical condition.

Actors who have played Merrick in the play include Bradley Cooper, David Bowie, Billy Crudup, Mark Hamill, and Philip Anglum. David Schofield originated the role in London in 1977.

Pearson, who has neurofibromatosis, will be the first disabled actor to play the role on screen.

In a statement to Variety, Pearson said “Joseph Merrick is a man I have a long and complex relationship with. From having his name used as a term of derision to learning about the man himself in documentaries I've presented […] Now, as a disability advocate and actor, I can think of no greater honour (yet heavy responsibility) than to tell the true story of Joseph Carey Merrick.”

Pomerance's daughter Eve, producer on the film, said in her own statement “My father never wanted prosthetics to be used on stage as he felt it took the audience out of the story […] Lines like, ‘I am not an animal, I am a man' which have become synonymous with the play, will take on greater meaning with Adam telling this story and enable the audience to finally stand in Merrick's shoes. My father would be beyond excited to see his dream becoming a reality.”

The film's director and official release date are currently unknown. However, it is due to start shooting in Spring 2026.