New “Jane Eyre” Still

May 14th, 2010 • Jane Eyre, Stills

Hello visitors,

With thanks to Kerr for linking me to a recently released still of Mia in Jane Eyre.

Move along, Jane Austen. Hollywood is hot for the Brontës again.

Filmmakers’ long affair with the divine Miss Austen is finally waning, after two decades of movies made from her elegant novels with their well-mannered characters, placid plots and witty repartee.

But enough with the endless circling of the Pump Room at Bath — time to get hearts racing! Time to bring back those wildly Romantic Brontë characters — plain Jane Eyre and moody Mr. Rochester, doomed Cathy Earnshaw and vengeful Heathcliff — to rend their garments, wail disconsolately and stagger across windswept moors.

Now that’s Hollywood. Or Hollywood-on-the-Thames. British filmmakers are at work on new versions of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Wuthering Heightsby Emily Brontë, to be released next year.

“Austen’s characters achieve their greatness through a kind of sideways movement toward happiness, (while) the Brontës hurtle themselves headlong into the maelstrom of emotions and situations,” says James Schamus, head of Focus Features, the artsy studio that made Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and now is making Jane Eyre (with BBC Films) with hot young director Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre).

The new Jane will star Australian actress Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), who is not plain, and Irish actor Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds) as Rochester.

Source: USA Today

Comments

Pablo Luis Gonzalez said:

I disagree with the definition of Jane having been plain.

Re-reading the book, it is clear to me that, whilst Charlotte Brontë defines Jane as “… you were no beauty as a child”, that is not the same that saying she was ugly. The regime of the educational establishment were she grew up meant that her manner, appearance and clothing were worked out to be plain. However, I disagree with the common assumption that she was ‘plain Jane’, she was not. Canons of beauty change over time, indeed in the past few years they have moved here in Britain. The book was written in the first half of the 19th century, Jane’s plainness was defined within the idea of beauty of that time. Would she be considered plain nowadays?

May 17th, 2010

sabrina said:

i agree with the other poster and it’s a useless battle. plus what people don’t consider is the skill of acting! acting is more important than your appearance and personally, i had read that mia was a huge jane eyre fan for a long time now and that and not only her acting skills and looks sold me for her as my new jane. she definitely looks like her. “you were no beauty as a child” that quote could also be defined by jealousy, that person’s personal opinion, her school work, etc. although i would go along and say that she wasn’t completely breath-taking, but who would be as well in the situation she was originally raised in? she was a heartbroken child, if i ever knew of one. i believe mia will do a great job and i can’t wait.

June 5th, 2010

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June 10th, 2010

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