Oct. 9, 1963 - William Wyler will direct and produce “The Collector,” a film based on John Fowles’s best-selling novel. The adaptation of the book is being written by Stanley Mann and John Kohn. Mr. Wyler, the winner of three Academy awards, turned down “The Sound of Music” to direct the film. “The Collector” deals with a young Englishman who stalks a beautiful art student before abducting and holding her captive in the basement of his rural farmhouse. Wyler considered a number of performers for the two central roles of Freddie Clegg and Miranda Grey, around whom the film almost exclusively revolves. Sarah Miles and Natalie Wood were considered for the role of Miranda, while Anthony Perkins and Dean Stockwell were considered for the role of Freddie. Wyler ultimately chose English actors Terence Stamp and Samantha Eggar because he felt that together they possessed the correct chemistry of sexual tension and awkwardness.
