Lost in Austen on the Big Screen

Do keep trying the Ernie/Mickey challenge from yesterday's post - I'll reveal the results on Monday, and the winner - there might even be a prize. Maybe.

I *may* have mentioned, once or twice or fifty times, the excellent Lost in Austen TV series from last year, starring the sublime Jemima Rooper as a 21st century girl who accidentally swaps places with Lizzie Bennet. This post babbles on about why I love the series, if you need reminding. Well, there is more news - my friend Lucy emailed me the news that there is to be a film version of Lost in Austen! Here's the news.


No word on casting as of yet. I'm torn. I think the cast of the ITV series were exceptionally good, especially Jemima, but if we have the same cast in the movie (and they already have the same brilliant scriptwriter, Guy Andrews) then what's the point? The DVD is out there, the film could just be an abridgement. Obviously I'll see it, and count down the days, but it does seem superfluous.

And I'm a bit worried about an American studio getting their hands on it. I'm always annoyed when American TV people remake our TV series (The Office, Dad's Army... I'm sure there are other examples, I just can't think of them) which would never happen when US programmes come to the US. I'm anxious, lest the deep affection for Jane Austen which the TV series has is ironed out, or the clever references removed for the sake of a wider audience... anything could go wrong. I always felt Lost in Austen triumphed despite the influence of various studio bosses and so forth - if it was a cynical meeting of Pride and Prejudice with Life on Mars the scriptwriter and actors and Jane Austen managed to override that - but will this triumph transfer itself to the big screen?

So I'm excited. With reservations.