Pride and Prejudice

[Virgil Reality]

Apparently , it's official
This from Variety

Knightley taking 'Pride' in retelling of lit classic

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Keira Knightley is set to star in "Pride and Prejudice," an adaptation of the Jane Austen classic for Working Title and Universal.
Joe Wright, who helmed the BBC miniseries "Charles II," is directing a script originally penned by Deborah Moggach ("Tulip Fever") and rewritten by Lee Hall ("Billy Elliot"). Filming begins in July.

Knightley will play Elizabeth Bennet, the second of five sisters in a British family ruled by a mother determined to marry her daughters into money.

Working Title partners Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce with Paul Webster. The film is the second Working Title pic for Knightley, who was part of the "Love Actually" ensemble.

"We are glad to be bringing this classic back to audiences everywhere," Bevan said.

The Austen novel has been turned into films dating back to the 1940 pic that starred Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier. It is also being transformed into the Gurinder Chadha-directed Bollywood musical "Bride and Prejudice," which is in the can for Pathe U.K. and Miramax. The Working Title adaptation, faithful to the setting and period of the original novel, will be distributed either by Universal or Focus Features.

The UTA-repped Knightley just wrapped "The Jacket" for Warner Bros. and Mandalay, and she plays Guinevere in the Antoine Fuqua-directed "King Arthur," which Disney opens July 7. Knightley is also expected to reprise her role in the back-to-back sequels to Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean."

There was a rumour floating around that Brad Pitt was in line to play Darcy. I'm sure that must have been a joke. More recently, I've heard that Hugh Dancy (aka Daniel Deronda Hans so-called rival in the so-called Carset Wars of 2002) and Luke Mably (who?) are slated for the coveted berth next to Keira.

Keira is apparently also going to be in "The Birth of Venus" and TWO sequels to "Pirates of the Carribean" as well as "Tulip Fever" and every other movie requiring a British actres under 30 for the next five years or so.


Gotta give it to the girl - she believes in herself - have you heard her POTC commentary?

Discuss, if you can stomach the idea, the concept of another version of P&P Of course this is for the big screen so it will get the attention of the masses like no amount of high quality BBC/ Masterpeice Theatre can

[Virgil Reality]

The latest from Screen Daily

Working Title finds its Darcy

Adam Minns in London 11 June 2004 04:00

Working Title Films has finally found its Darcy. The UK powerhouse has cast rising British actor Matthew Macfadyen as the arrogant but eligible male lead in its upcoming Jane Austen adaptation Pride And Prejudice.

Macfadyen will star opposite Keira Knightley, who plays the central Bennet daughter, Elizabeth. The other Bennet sisters will include The Libertine and Die Another Day’s Rosamund Pike as Jane, the oldest, and Jena Malone, the US actress from Cold Mountain, The United States Of Leland and Donnie Darko, as Lydia, the youngest.

Macfadyen is best known as the star of hit British TV spy thriller Spooks, which aired successfully in the US as MI-5. Along with starring in high-profile TV productions such as The Project and Warriors, he recently wrapped his first starring role in a feature with In My Father's Den, the story of a disillusioned war reporter. His period credits include his TV debut, Granada Television’s Wuthering Heights, and BBC2’s recent Anthony Trollope adaptation The Way We Live Now.

Shooting on Pride And Prejudice is scheduled to start next month, with Working Title co-chairman Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner producing with Paul Webster. Joe Wright, whose credits include BBC TV mini-series Charles II and Nature Boy, is making his directing debut from a script by Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall and Tulip Fever novelist Deborah Moggach.

Good choice, if they must make this.

Any opinions all you P&P and Colin lovers?

[Robin]

It's sad to see the European film/television industry become commericalised.

I go out of my way to watch European/British television programs and films. I feel that international programs/films are produced with a higher standard of humanistic quality than American programs/films.

Now, it appears that even international production companies are lowering their standards.

I'm only 28 years old, but I've become grown absolutely cynical towards the entire entertainment industry.

[Virgil Reality]

My feelings about the BBC production with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle was it was one of those rare instances where just about everything came together to achieve 'best practice' if you will. Take any scene and it's difficult to find many ways it could be improved. Take any performance and they just seemed perfect. The pacing, the score - just wonderful.

I'm no Jane Austen purist by any means so I'm sure there were ommisions etc but to me, anyway, it captured the spirit and feel of the novel and pleased in it's very "Britishness". "Englishness" even. No offence, but it's when things cater to the perceived "American audience" that these things disappoint.

But one shouldn't complain about making anything for which I am the target audience, heaven knows, there's enough CGI big battles, cartoon rip-off geekoramas and teen porn out there. Bring on the quality big budget costume drama/historical epics.

[Virgil Reality]

So, who's seen it?

What's the verdict?

[Gg]

Haven't seen it -- but the trailer looks like someone really wanted "Lizzy" to look very much like Bronte's "Catherine". I also noticed that in one version, the shorter, the only dialogue Keira got coverage on was "he's so rich"

[odybu]

Can ya tell I'm trying to catch up here!LOL
I loved the version with Colin Firth! I'm really surprised that another version has been produced. It hasn't been THAT long since the other one was made, has it?? Even in the interest of comparing, I doubt that I'll bother with the new one.

[Virgil Reality]

Hey Odybu, thanks for dragging all the topics into 2006! We've got a really up-to-date board happening here

You might be a bit late to catch this P&P - it's nearly finished its run hasn't it? I think there's a place for a movie version - the miniseries is after all a six or more hour commitment. My fear was that this version would be a teen version - I'm waiting for the DVD, though part of me feels guilty for not supporting this kind of movie in the cinema. After all, if we want them making costume drama and literary adaptations we should then go and see them I guess. (Now if they'd cast Hans as, say, Wickham....)

That said, I believe it has done quite well and Keira Knightley had been nominated for a Golden Globe and a slew of other awards. Can't see her beating out Reese Withersthingy though.

Witherthingy?? Seems I'm learning new dirty words all the time

[odybu]

LOL, no problem.
Good grief, I really missed the date on this one. It's only been recently that I've seen ads for the movie itself.
You're right about supporting this at the theaters, but I have such a hard time when I've found a version that I love:-)