Russell Brand out of Jane Austen Handheld
Comedian Russell Brand has had to bow out of Jane Austen Handheld due to previous commitments.
It could have been a stroke of inspired casting: louche comic Russell Brand as the dastardly Wickham in a spoof remake of Pride and Prejudice, alongside mouthy singer Lily Allen as Lydia, the headstrong flirt with whom Wickham elopes. Sadly, Brand has said he will be too busy to take up the role in the film, called Jane Austen Handheld, which will retell the Austen classic in the form of a fly-on-the-wall documentary and is due to go into production next year.
“I met Lily when she came on my radio show and I thought she was fantastic,” Brand says. “It’s a pity, as I’d have loved to run off together and have my wicked way with her.”
So this sounds like it’s going forward…who will play Lizzy and Darcy? Shall we start a letter-writing campaign to Stephen Fry to ask him to cast Richard Armitage as Darcy? Might be the last chance to get him in an Austen adaptation, and imagine him doing those one-on-one camera journal things like in The Office, wondering why Elizabeth doesn’t like him, or oh dear God Wickham’s shown up!
*cackles evilly, stands back as Armitage Army stampedes*
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I hope it goes ahead, a comedy version of Pride and Prejudice is long overdue. In fantasy casting, I’d cast David Mitchell as Mr Collins and Robert Webb as Wickham because I think they’d both bring something new to the roles. I’d also cast Penelope Keith as Lady Catherine de Bourgh as she’d be perfect and Jennifer Saunders as Mrs Bennet.
Oh yes, Richard Armitage would make a perfect Mr Darcy! I’m sure the campaign would get lots of support, as the Armitage Army is a rather large army, isn’t it?
Amanda, Mrs. Bennet is already cast–Carrie Fisher. At least that’s the last I heard.
The Office-style Talking Heads in Austen? Would be brilliance. I remember that I was watching a lot of The Office the first time I read Persuasion, and kept thinking that Anne should have a little, “They probably don’t remember. I wouldn’t expect them to. Papa and Mary weren’t even here at the time, but… yes, I was engaged to him.”
If Richard Armitage is Darcy, then Elizabeth Bennet must be played by Dawn French.
Nooooo! I’m gutted. I genuinely thought Russell Brand was dream casting. Whoever gets the role cannot possibly match how I imagined he would play it.
Carrie Fisher as Mrs Bennet? Hmmmm, interesting.
Carrie Fisher? That’s unusual casting. I hope the film goes ahead, it will be really interesting to see P&P in a new way.
I can’t wait for this, ’twill be brilliant so ’twill! Richard Armitage as Darcy…. *sigh!* I am all for that, let’s mobilize the Armitage Army- he is possibly the only thing that could make an Austen project with Stephen Fry already involved even better.