Looks like it’s definite: Anne Hathaway will play Jane Austen in BECOMING JANE
The Telegraph has a tidbit about BECOMING JANE, the young-Jane Austen biopic (scroll down, it’s at the end of the piece):
Her novels have frequently been adapted for television and the big screen, but the author’s own story has been shrouded in mystery. Until now. Jane Austen is going to take centre stage in a new film that charts the novelist’s early life, entitled Becoming Jane.
“We’re starting shooting this summer,” says producer Douglas Rae. “It’s about the young Jane Austen and her one love affair with an Irish barrister called Tom Lefroy.” The young American actress Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries, Brokeback Mountain) will play Austen.
Oh goodie, something to obsess over once the P&P3 mania dies down. 
June 14th, 2005 at 3:30 am
Hooray! Little Jane’s really back in fashion, isn’t she?
Good for us.
But I cannot help thinking that if Jane looked like Hathaway, she might have lived a lil’ bit different life. She might not have picked up a pen at all.
June 14th, 2005 at 9:28 am
Am I the only one who doesn’t like the idea of Hathaway playing Jane? I can’t imagine her portraying half the wit I find in the books. And I always worry about biopics; a person’s life story does not necessarily a good plot make.
June 14th, 2005 at 1:00 pm
I agree, Anne Hathaway always bugs me, but particularly for playing Jane. She has that “I’m just a doe-eyed young thing!” and doesn’t have the simple gravitas I imagine Jane having.
June 14th, 2005 at 2:05 pm
I totally agree. I’m not sure I will be able to take her seriously.
June 14th, 2005 at 2:17 pm
I’ve only seen her in THE PRINCESS DIARIES so it’s hard to tell! I hope her British accent is convincing at least.
June 14th, 2005 at 6:00 pm
I agree with all of you. Anne Hathaway seems to vibrant and (alomst) blonde to play Jane, who I imagine as more deep-thinking, clever, and perceptive. Especially to be able to see the idiosyncrasies of her culture (do we see idiosyncrasies in ours?).
June 14th, 2005 at 7:24 pm
Who’s producing this?
Anne Hathaway might be a good actress, or she might not. It’s not like she’s had much of a chance to prove it one way or another, with the films she’s done thus far.
At any rate, her HUGE, HUGE eyes and EQUALLY HUGE mouth disturb me.
June 14th, 2005 at 7:26 pm
Never mind — the producer is the same guy who did MRS BROWN, “An Unsuitable Job for a Woman,” and CHARLOTTE GRAY. Ooh, things are looking up.
June 14th, 2005 at 8:46 pm
I find it very ironic that they were prevented/dissuaded from getting serious for prudential reasons, yet the only reason anyone now knows the name of Tom Lefroy is due to his “love affair” with Jane.
Another thing, her “one love affair”–what about the mysterious suitor-by-the-sea? Not that you could make much of a movie out of him, since everything we know about him can be summed up in less than ten seconds.
June 14th, 2005 at 9:21 pm
I love the Mysterious Suitor-by-the-Sea story.
One can make whatever one wants of it! This film is going to be mostly made-up, anyway.
Eunice, Ecosse Films is producing the film. I’ve heard from a dependable and disinterested source that the script is fantastic. I do think we might all have to suspend our disbelief a bit, however.
June 15th, 2005 at 11:03 am
I dont know if you all have seen Nicholas Nickleby, the 2003 Production with Christopher Plummer, in that she is quite good. I think that you all would enjoy that production. And her English Accent is passable. Also I seem to remember that beauty had different standards in the 18th Century and Anne Hathaways beauty today would not conform to those standards. I think looking back to the reality of that time she might just fit. We shall see. I, as I am sure everyone else here is, will look forward to any sort of big screen telling of JA life. After all if Iris Murdoch, John Nash, and numerous others can have their story on the Big Screen why not one of the WORLDS most beloved authors. It is about time that some of the “pseudo-biographical” films about notable people feature some individuals who have stood the test of time.
~R
June 15th, 2005 at 3:11 pm
I agree that Austen is indeed a notable person, and I’m confident that her WORKS will have stood the test of time many many years from now, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that her life story will make a good movie. I see her as an interesting historical figure, with a sharp mind and an uncanny literary instinct. But heroine?… I’m not sure.
Moreover, it seems pretty clear to me that she and her sister did much to prevent the contemporary public or any future generations from knowing much in the way of juicy personal details. I think she’d hate the idea of a movie about her relationship with the much less notable Irish barrister. It feels like an invasion of privacy.
June 16th, 2005 at 12:49 am
Hi,
Just curious, who is Jane Austen’s mysterious suitor by the sea?
June 16th, 2005 at 1:41 am
Just curious, who is Jane Austen’s mysterious suitor by the sea?
Well, that’s the question, isn’t it?
The story goes that one of the nieces, I believe it was Caroline Austen (James Austen’s youngest daughter), said that Cassandra Austen, not long before she died, told a story about a romance between Jane and an unnamed young man during a seaside visit. I can’t remember exactly when but it was after they left Steventon but before they moved to Chawton. Cassandra said that Jane liked this young man and that things seemed to be moving toward marriage. He asked if he could meet up with the Austens again later in their mutual travels, but then word came that he had died.
Nobody knows if this is true or if Cassandra was just raving or the niece made it up or dreamed it, but it’s a great story and provides much scope for the imagination, as Anne Shirley would say.
June 16th, 2005 at 3:14 pm
Interesting! I’ve once seen Hathaway in a stage reading of A.A. Milne’s play adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. She had the part of Lizzy and was actually quite good.
June 17th, 2005 at 4:24 pm
nooooooooooooooooo!! NOT HATHAWAY!!!
Well, they’ve got Ecosse producing it, so that’s something. I don’t dislike Hathaway, but I don’t think she’s got what it takes to pull off Jane convincingly.
July 13th, 2005 at 6:27 pm
ANNE HATHAWAY???? Are they kidding?! this choice is making me a little nervous.. she’s not even British! and i really don’t think that the looks match at all. oh well.. can’t win ‘em all, i suppose
September 5th, 2005 at 1:21 am
They could have at least chosen someone british! Anne as Jane does’nt quite fit,she doesnt seem to possess the wit or style of either the period or Jane herself.
September 23rd, 2005 at 1:20 pm
Does anybody know if this movie’s based on the book by Jon Spence: Becoming Jane Austen?
Here’s a link to a review on Jasna: http://www.jasna.org/bookrev/br193p23.html
I don’t know it, but it sounds interesting.
October 22nd, 2005 at 8:22 am
Come on people will U give the girl a chance!!I saw the screening of Brokeback Mountain and believe me Anne was very good in it.Granted she is NOT British but I think she will be able to pull off the character.I mean I know alot of people didn’t give Renee Zellweger a chance when they did her for Bridget Jones’s and every1 was freaking out at that choice but the end result was very good.So be nice and dont judge something before it comes out let alone this movie hasn’t even started shooting yet.
October 22nd, 2005 at 8:30 am
No. That’s no fun at all.
We’re not fair and balanced, we’re Janeites.
November 20th, 2005 at 7:30 pm
Anne is the perfect actress to play this role. she is extremely intelligent, emotional and dedicated to doing the best job anyone could ever do. I guarantee that all against her playing this role will be blown away and apologetic. She will triumph. Alot of you don’t even know Anne and only know her from past roles. She is one of the most well read and driven people you could ever meet. Why do you think she was chosen over all the over fantastic axctresses - even British ones! She’s the best and she’ll nail this role.
November 20th, 2005 at 7:46 pm
We don’t apologize, we’re Janeites.