A Century of Charles Dickens' Beloved David Copperfield Onscreen

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was born (as I have been informed and believe) on a Friday, at twelve o’clock at night. It was remarked that the clock began to strike, and I began to cry, simultaneously.
Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

A new, much-anticipated David Copperfield adaptation is about to arrive in America. Entitled The Personal History of David Copperfield and directed by The Thick of It's Armando Iannucci, the film stars Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and an international, diverse cast that includes everyone from Peter Capaldi and Tilda Swinton to Benedict Wong and Nikki Amuka-Bird.

There’s a century-long history of Dickens adaptations for both the large and the small screen, and before we take a look at (some) of them, here’s the trailer for the latest version.