Eagle Eye Drama Snags Barbara Cartland’s ‘The Great Dictator’

Eagle Eye Drama, a production arm of ITV Studios, has announced it has acquired the rights to Matthew Sweet’s newly released biography of the late author Barbara Cartland, titled *The Great Dictator*.

The book was issued this month by Hodder & Stoughton after years of research into the life of the “Queen of Romance.” The deal follows a positive reception from major press outlets, including *The Guardian* and *The Times*, and a feature in a documentary by Louis Theroux.

The biography paints Cartland as a flamboyant figure who dressed perpetually in pink, travelled with her Pekinese dogs, and was a fixture of British high society. Born in 1901, she moved among press barons, politicians, the aristocracy, and the Royal Family; she was also the step‑grandmother of Princess Diana.

Her romance novels sold close to a billion copies in 38 languages, making her the third‑biggest selling author of all time behind only Shakespeare and Christie.

## Background & Context

*The Great Dictator* chronicles Cartland’s life from her early days through her rise as a literary icon. The book examines her relationships with prominent figures such as Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, the latter of whom she reportedly prescribed alternative remedies and oxygen supplements.

It also highlights her role as a friend to the press and her connection to the Royal Family, noting that Princess Diana cherished her books in youth. The narrative is built on Sweet’s access to the Cartland family archives, providing new insights into the author’s personal and public life.

Cartland has long been the subject of documentaries and a 2008 BBC telemovie, *In Love with Barbara*, starring Anne Reid. The biography has been described by Tom Perrin, Editorial Consultant at Hodder & Stoughton, as “a runaway success” since publication and has been longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize.

Sweet’s series *Bookish*—produced through Eagle Eye—has already attracted attention with its blend of light crime and historical context, starring Mark Gatiss.

## What Producers Say

Eagle Eye Drama CEO Walter Iuzzolino said: “Matthew Sweet gained unparalleled access to the Cartland family archives, and what he has uncovered is a story more compelling and unbelievable than her most outlandish plots, which will provide a wonderful bedrock to build an unmissable scripted series.” The company plans to adapt the biography into a scripted drama that captures Cartland’s flamboyance and influence on 20th‑century British culture.

Eagle Eye CCO Jo McGrath added that “Cartland was the third‑biggest selling author of all time, behind only William Shakespeare and Agatha Christie, and would be a gift of a role for a great actress.” She noted her distinctive style: “Known for her outlandish pink chiffon clothes and thick Meltonian black shoe cream mascara, she is a figure who has been loved and scorned in equal measure.” McGrath further remarked on her “less than idyllic and rather scandalous love life of her own” and her interactions with political figures, saying she “dined with Margaret Thatcher – to whom she prescribed alternative remedies and oxygen supplements – and of course the step‑grandmother to Princess Diana, who loved her books as a young woman.”

## Next Steps & Reception

Sweet expressed enthusiasm for the adaptation, stating: “I feel like I’ve been caught up in a pink chiffon whirlwind in the last few days, with the reviews and the Baillie Gifford longlist. Now Eagle Eye Drama has acquired the rights to bring *The Great Dictator* to television.

They are the perfect producers and I know they will bring Barbara’s world to life with impeccable style.” The project follows Eagle Eye’s recent successes, including a renewed third season of *Bookish*, a festive special, and the Channel 4 series *The Couple Next Door*.

The company also plans to adapt ITV’s forthcoming Richard Armitage crime series *Winter* after securing rights to the book.

With the rights secured, production teams are likely to begin pre‑production work in the coming months. Fans of Cartland’s work may anticipate a dramatized portrait that balances her public persona with intimate details gleaned from Sweet’s extensive research.

As the project moves forward, industry observers will watch how Eagle Eye translates a 20th‑century literary legend into contemporary television storytelling.