Miss Austen fans, we have brilliant news. The historical series is getting a sequel, Miss Austen Returns, Deadline reports. The original British series, which encapsulates a very fictionalized version of the Austen family, was critically acclaimed and loved by fans. So, a follow-up is a great idea to delve into more aspects of the beloved family.
The upcoming series will be based on The Elopement by Gill Hornby, whose other work became the crux of the original series. While most details about the follow-up are kept under wraps, Keeley Hawes and key cast members are set to return. The original series was based on a score of letters between Jane and her sister Cassandra Austen and chronicles their lives and loves.
But How ‘Miss Austen Returns’?
Christine Langan, whose Bonnie Productions made the series, revealed that the idea mostly comes from Hornby’s follow-up novel, “which we optioned, and which created the potential for Cassandra to come back.” Speaking of the source material, she elaborates that the novel drawn from very rich family history, “the Austens were very fertile, there’s a lot of them. This is a well-researched true story that happens later on [from Miss Austen], around the 1820s, and to a wing of the family that involves Cassandra.” Elaborating on the format, she further revealed that Miss Austen Returns will use a similar past and present timelines akin to the original series, but this time with a twist:
“Well, you’re going to see more of both of those [elements], but the past-tense years that we focus on will be ones that were highly creative for Jane and when her novels were actually being published. Cassandra is carrying the flame in the present-tense part, and rather than burning letters and looking after Jane’s privacy as in the first series, this is about an interpretation of Jane’s meaning and value.”
Jane Austen is one of the writers whose works are relevant to date (Netflix is making its own Pride & Prejudice adaptation). So, getting a series that interprets her meaning and value for a new generation will be a compelling watch. On top of it, the historical aspects of the series will certainly send some fans down the rabbit hole of knowing more about the Austen family. The original series has a 91 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating and was loved for its tone, depiction of the period, and compelling performances by Hawes, Rose Leslie as Isabella, Mirren Mack as Dinah, and Jessica Hynes as Mary Austen.
No further details are available at the moment.
via Collider