As much as I hated everyone saying "Yeah baby, yeah" after Austin Powers and "Very nice!" after Borat, the incessant quoting of Napoleon Dynamite turned my opinion about the film from "mildly enjoyed" to "actively hate." Because everyone and their grandmother could recite the script on que, the whole film suffered from incredible over-exposure. In the years since the duo behind the film, Jared and Jerusha Hess, haven't experienced the same level of success, neither Nacho Libre or Gentleman Broncos receiving the same level of praise from critics. Now it seems the two are ready to start working on separate projects, for for Jerusha that project is Austenland.
THR reports that Jerusha, who is also Jared's wife, is heading out on her own to make her directorial debut and will have Twilight writer Stephanie Meyer serving as her producer. A romantic comedy, the plot revolves a thirty-something woman who is completely in love with Colin Firth's version of Mr. Darcy in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. The obsession ends up ruining her life, as there is no man in her world that can stack up. Keri Russell, JJ Feild and Bret McKenzie have signed on to star while the supporting cast includes Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Seymour, Rupert Vansittart and James Callis. The project was co-written by Hess with Shannon Hale, who wrote the book that the film is based on. Production on the film is scheduled to begin this week.
Some may scoff at the idea of Meyer extending her reach in the film world beyond the Twilight franchise, but when you think about it this film is a perfect fit for her. You know where you can a whole shitload of thirty-year-olds obsessing over a fictional character? In the Twilight aisle of your local Barnes and Nobel.
