Another hunk of meat to the fangirl grinder
One almost feels sorry for these actors in Jane Austen adaptations (and really pretty much any adaptation set in the late 18th or early 19th century) and the inevitable media comparison to Colin Almighty. We are not sure if that phenomenon is a tribute to an iconic performance or a lack of imagination on the part of the media, but that is a rant for another day. The Organgrinder blog at The Guardian speculates that Rupert Penry-Jones’ performance in the upcoming adaptation of Persuasion will have the fangirls squealing.
ITV might have found a successor to Firth in the shape of Spooks star Rupert Penry-Jones. He plays Captain Frederick Wentworth in the adaptation of Austen’s more mature novel Persuasion (due to air in the spring). Ciaran Hinds played the same role for the BBC in the nineties and was brilliant. But Rupert plays it a bit racier and with some of the hard-edged, smouldering charm that Colin Firth gave Mr D’Arcy.
And the trembling kiss between Wentworth and Anne Elliott - played by the brilliant Sally Hawkins - after years of suppressed emotion, had the audience transfixed.
Judging by the large number of female journalists who flocked to chat to Rupert after the screening, ITV may have found someone to step into Colin Firth’s breeches…as it were.
To which we can only say…”better and better!”
Via the Media Issues and Debates blog, we can read the text of another Guardian article that requires registration.
The Jane Austen season - which features new productions of Mansfield Park, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey and a repeat of Emma, starring Kate Beckinsale - was one of the first things Simon Shaps approved after he became director of television at ITV.
Elliott said he wanted to do an Austen season because each generation needs its own version of the classics.
“About every 10 years all the great stories need retelling. These films will be very much 2007 films. With Laura [Mackie] and Sally [Haynes] we’ve asked and pushed the production team to make them young.”
There also was this fascinating tidbit:
The Jane Austen season features stars such as Billie Piper, Anthony Head and Jemma Redgrave alongside the cream of young British acting talent.
Spooks star Rupert Penry-Jones’ position as a successor to Colin Firth seems assured thanks to his brooding performance and a lingering kiss with co-star Felicity Hawkins in Persuasion.
The Jane Austen season will air on ITV1 mid-March or April, along with a behind-the-scenes show on ITV3.
ITV has other classic adaptions in the wings, including A Room with a View and Sense and Sensibility - both of which are being adapted by Andrew Davies.
That last bit is notable for several errors, including SALLY Hawkins’ first name and the fact that the BBC actually is doing S&S07. And ITV STILL hasn’t made up its mind when to show the bally things–or at least isn’t fessing up to the press. (But–behind the scenes show!)
February 15th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Good. The media is getting excited about it!
Personally, although I loved Colin Firth’s acting, he was never my Mr. Darcy. He just didn’t fit that all-powerful image in my mind from the book. No one has so far.
I’m quite looking forward to the new Wentworth. I have a theory that I didn’t appreciate Persuasion enough when I read it because I kept seeing Ciaran Hinds as Wentworth. He did a good job, but he’s not at all my type.
February 15th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
I think he is ugly…and also, I would like to see a new Persuasion movie, because the 1995’s movie wasn’t my type of adaptation…let’s cross fingers.
February 15th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Must have mixed it up with ITV NA’s Felicity Jones.
I tend to get irritated about squealing fangirls, or even references to them. Can no one appreciate Austen adaptations without having to compare to Darcy and the Entourage of Fangirls? It’s like cyber-Lydia Bennets—”MMMM.”
That said, I think Rupert P-J looks more like the Captain Wentworth I envisioned. I liked the acting and the adaptation of the Hinds version, but not so much the casting.
February 15th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
I love Ciaran Hinds, but I have a lot of problems with that version of Persuasion. The story was pretty unintelligible for anyone who hasn’t read the book, I didn’t like their villainizing of Lady Russell, and the incredibly ugly and ungraceful Elizabeth was completely wrong. There are other things that bother me about it, but nevertheless, the letter at the end always gets me, and I completely buy their love story, so I forgive it its faults by the end. I’m very eager for a better adaptation of Persuasion, though.
February 15th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
This reminds me of a conversation I once had at work.
Me: I really love books by Jane Austen.
Co-working: Me too! I LOVE Colin Firth!
Anyway, of all the new adaptations this year, Persuasion is the one I’m looking forward to the most so this news makes me even more excited. And I already knew Rupert Penry-Jones was swoon-inducing but it’s nice to have further confirmation
February 15th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
I’m even more looking forward to the new adaptations now!
I wonder why we never see any pictures of him as Edmund, though. 
By the way, I saw the new Edmund Bertram (Blake Ritson) some days ago in another series, and I must say… not bad at all!
February 15th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
I confess to having seen P2 before I read the book, but I picked up the story pretty quickly. As did the friend I went with. There was no confusion at all on our part, at least. Of course, I cannot speak for everyone.
Ciaran Hinds is not a handsome man, but I really liked him as Wentworth. I found him to be very good as a rugged, weathered sailor. I thought he and Amanda Root were absolutely perfect together.
On the other hand, Colin Firth is a handsome man, but the more I see of him, the more I like him as Mark Darcy than as Fitzwilliam Darcy.
I am very much looking forward to Rupert P-J as Wentworth and I hope that this new production is as subtle and quiet and understated as the 1995 version. The rest of the upcoming adaptations sound about as subtle as a sledgehammer. Especially the ones Andrew Davies is involved in.
February 15th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Wholehearted agreement with you, Julie. I was surprised and pleased that the Root adaptation of Persuasion came close to capturing the essence of the book. The only part that I thought could have used more detail was the scene when Mrs. Smith revealed to Anne the truth concerning Mr. Elliot.
Persuasion also happens to be short compared to most of the Austen oeuvre. Even so, two hours are hardly enough to do any of the novels justice. But I will see all of them anyway, at least once.
February 15th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
They’re doing A Room With a View? But- but what about the WONDERFUL film with Helen Bonham-Carter. Remaking that would be like remaking Gone with the Wind or 1995 Pride and Prejudice. *ducks flying tomatoes from the deluded fans of the 2005 film*
February 15th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
I’m looking forward to all the adaptions, but S&S will probably be the one I am waiting for the most. Well, maybe it and NA. I already like P2 and MP1 so if those two get messed up I will have these to fall back on. I don’t think either S&S1 or S&S2 are the best adaptions of that book. There are alot of things I don’t like about S&S2. I like S&S1 better, but was disappointed in the ending and in Col. Brandon. I won’t even discuss NA1!
February 15th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I own NA1 but have somehow managed not to see it. I like S&S1’s Elinor — I guess that’s mostly because I really liked that actress as Charlotte in P&P1. But the whole Willoughby/Eliza thing Andrew Davies has cooked up leaves me cold.
February 16th, 2007 at 12:21 am
I don’t think these Andrew Davies films are going to be as bad as they sound. I remember reading how he wanted the ending of E3 to have Mr. Knightley and Emma in bed together. They were so wrapped up in each other that they didn’t pay attention to the chicken thieves. Well, he said that didn’t go over well with the film company so it got cut. We also know that Darcy was originally going to be in his “birthday suit” for his pond dive. That was cut also and I am glad for it.
February 16th, 2007 at 2:06 am
I love P&P2 and Emma by Andrew Davies, and when he is marketing the films, he usually say such a things, that are never put on screen; does he want the scenes or is it just a marketing strategy?
The point is that I will not say anything against new S&S movie till I see it or Andrew says something really crazy. I like S&S1 and S&S2, and I hope to like S&S3.
About Persuasion, I have said my opinion up, but I totally agree with Zoe (but about Ciarán). I also missed humour and I never understood why Anne ran to Wentworth to Wentworth in such a way. Anyway, it is good movie, but I would have liked another kind of adaptation.
February 16th, 2007 at 3:59 am
Quoting from the article, they write “at the launch of ITV’s new Jane Austen season today..” So, it’s like up and running? Does this mean we can expect one of the first new films soon?
February 16th, 2007 at 10:00 am
Karenlee (and everyone), The Independent is reporting that the new films will air Sunday evenings starting mid-March. No more specific than that, yet. But there ought to be lots of articles coming out as a result of this launch; I’ve already seen one (mostly about Billie Piper and Persuasion, nothing about Northanger Abbey) from the Manchester Evening News.
February 16th, 2007 at 11:14 am
According to this article MP3 will include Fanny’s wedding!
http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/article.html?in_article_id=37683&in_page_id=7&in_a_source=
February 16th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
This may be completely off topic, but I when I read “young British talent” I thought: wouldn’t it be hilarious if Dan Radcliffe played Mr. Collins one day? Or maybe Captain Benwick, Mr. Elliot, or Mr. Elton. I simply can’t imagine him as one of the heroes though. All British actors must play Jane Austen sometime in their careers, it’s practically a rule.
February 16th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
“wouldn’t it be hilarious if Dan Radcliffe played Mr. Collins one day”
I dunno if I can see him as Collins…I think he’s better looking than that. However, it would be funny to see him as someone else!
February 16th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Rosalind, not all fans of P&P 2005 are deluded. I like the music. And whether he fits the description in the book or not, Matthew MacFadyen’s Darcy is no punishment to look at. Plus they had the best Jane to date. Rosamund Pike had that angelic look that has been missing in previous productions. I still like P&P2 better, but I can appreciate the good points of P&P3.
And I think Gone With The Wind could be successfully remade. But it would have to be done as a miniseries, cause the films just cut too much out. And the producers would have to make a point of NOT trying to copy the 1939 version, but rather putting together a more accurate telling of the story as written by Margaret Mitchell.
February 16th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Personally, I’m glad that there’s going to be a new adaptation of “A Room with a View”, since it’s one of my favorite books. I also like the film with Helena Bonham-Carter, but I don’t think that a new adaptation is going to do injury to my memory of the older one… I say bring on the new things. =) And even if it’s not as good, the 1985 version shall still exist for my viewing pleasure.