Adam Pearson will star in ‘The Elephant Man’ movie

Adam Pearson, the breakout star of A24’s darkly comedic A Different Man, will lead a new film adaptation of Bernard Pomerance’s Tony Award-winning play The Elephant Man.

Pearson will play Joseph Merrick, the English artist born with physical deformities who was exhibited under Victorian-era freak shows under the stage name of “The Elephant Man,” in the feature, which will be penned by none other than the late Pomerance’s son, Moby Pomerance.

The playwright’s daughter, Eve Pomerance, will serve as a producer for the film alongside Stephen Nemeth. Pearson will also executive produce the feature. Production will begin in the spring of 2026.

The stage play, which premiered in 1977 in London and also loosely served as the basis of the 1980 David Lynch feature of the same name, revolves around the diary entries of Merrick’s physician, Dr. Frederick Treves, and the years the two spent together at the London Hospital. John Hurt portrayed Merrick in Lynch’s adaptation, while Anthony Hopkins played Dr. Treves.

Notably, Pearson’s casting in this new iteration marks the first time a disabled actor has portrayed the character. The British actor, 40, lives with neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition that leads to the growth of tumors in various parts of the body. Pearson said he was “beyond honored to be playing this role and involved in this project” in a statement shared on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Shout out to my reps and family for their unwavering support and huge shout out to those who follow and support my work,” Pearson wrote. “I love you all.”

In a statement, Pearson elaborated on what the role means to him.

“Joseph Merrick is a man I have a long and complex relationship with,” he wrote. “From having his name used as a term of derision to learning about the man himself in documentaries I’ve presented. It’s been a cathartic journey of growing to love and respect a man who I as a child I avoided even thinking about. 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.” 

Eve Pomerance said Pearson’s casting will give the story a deeper meaning and allow the audience to “finally stand in Merrick’s shoes.”

“My father never wanted prosthetics to be used on stage as he felt it took the audience out of the story,” she said in a statement. “He wanted them to empathize fully with Merrick, to see themselves in him. 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.”

“My father would be beyond excited to see his dream becoming a reality,” she continued.

Other actors who have played Merrick on the Broadway and West End stage include Bradley Cooper, David Bowie, Mark Hamill, and Billy Crudup.

2024’s A Different Man, which starred Sebastian Stan as a struggling actor with neurofibromatosis who undergoes an experimental procedure to altar his face, was inspired by Pearson’s own acting journey. Pearson played Oswald, a fellow artist with neurofibromatosis whose confidence in his own skin unmoors Stan’s character, in the Academy Award-nominated film from director Aaron Schimberg.

The film’s makeup artist Mike Marino has spoken about how his love for The Elephant Man informed his involvement with the feature, telling Entertainment Weekly last year that Lynch’s 1980 version laid the foundation for his love for makeup in film. “That really made an indelible mark on my life,” Marino shared.

Variety was the first to report on Pearson’s casting as Merrick.