The Ridley Scott-produced miniseries features Donald Sutherland, Ian McShane and Rufus Sewell.
In an exclusive interview with the Associated Press, Follett said he had received several offers to turn the book into a two- to four-hour film, but only Scott was willing to make a version that captures the complexities of the book.
"Most people think it's my best book and I felt very strongly that I should hold out for a long miniseries. Ridley was the only person who was able to guarantee that," Follett said.
"What I liked most about the script was that the story remained strong. I was most relieved when I read it," Follett said, praising the work of American playwright and screenwriter John Pielmeier.
The miniseries has a budget of USD 40 million and is being shot in the Astra Studio in Fót, in the town of Ócsa south of Budapest, and in Austria. Scott and co-producer Rola Bauer said using studios and locations in Hungary had allowed them to save money and tackle the project without having to secure a US network to help with the finances.
After looking at possible locations in Ireland and Canada, they chose Hungary not just because it was cheaper, but also because of the high quality of the film industry professionals.
"We get so much more here for our money. It's fantastic - the quality of personnel, quality of artisan, quality of artist," Scott said. "It's really good, as good as it gets," he added.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
