According to Hollywood Reporter, there's a new Jane Austen related independent rom-com film titled Austenland (based on the novel of the same name by Shannon Hale) starring Keri Russell (Felicity, The Magic of Ordinary Days, August Rush) currently in production and about to start filming this week in the UK. It will be financed and produced by Stephenie Meyer, the best-selling author of the Twilight series.
Here's a breakdown of the Austenland cast who are playing the following characters (via Shannon Hale's website):
Jane - Keri Russell
Nobley - JJ Feild
Martin - Bret Mckenzie
Miss Charming - Jennifer Coolidge
Colonel Andrews - James Callis
Mrs. Wattlesbrook - Jane Seymour
Mr. Wattlesbrook - Rupert Vansittart
Updated 7/11/11
Lady Heartwright - Georgia King
Molly (Jane's best friend) - Ayda Field
George East - Ricky Whittle
Updated 7/6/11:
Georgia King (via her official Twitter) said that she's in the Austenland movie too!Interesting, I have previously mentioned her and her character Harriet in one of my old posts here about her movieWild Child (with Emma Roberts) and it's P&P references (read it, it's hilarious!) here: Pride & Prejudice References in Pop Culture (Part 3) The actress herself has P&P connections! She appeared in a small role with P&P '05's Keira Knightley inThe Duchess, co-starred with Matthew Macfadyen in Little Dorrit and Talulah Riley in the film St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold.
And here's the Austenland article (via Hollywood Reporter):
Keri Russell, JJ Feild and Bret McKenzie will star in Austenland, an indie romantic comedy that is serving as the directorial debut of Jerusha Hess, who co-wrote Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre with her husband, helmer Jared Hess.
In a twist, the movie is also serving as the producing debut of Stephenie Meyer, author of the best-selling vampire books The Twilight Saga. Meyer has acted as a producer on the Twilight adaptations but this will be her first time working on non-authored fare.
Meyer is producing and financing the pic though her Fickle Fish Films banner, which she runs with Meghan Hibbett. Moxie Pictures’ Gina Mingacci is also producing.
Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Seymour, Rupert Vansittart and James Callis make up the supporting cast of the rom-com, which centers on a single, thirtysomething woman with a secret obsession with Mr. Darcy -- as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. The obsession is ruining her love life because no real man can compare.
When she decides to spend her life savings on a trip to an English resort catering to Jane Austen-crazed women, the woman's fantasy of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman becomes more real than she could have imagined.
Feild is playing a Mr. Darcy actor at Austenland who develops true feelings for the American woman. Coolidge is playing a vain and crude vacationer.
Shannon Hale wrote the book on which the movie is based and co-wrote the script with Hess.
The movie begins shooting this week in the U.K. UTA is handling worldwide sales.
