Killing Eve

A first glimpse at the new period drama has been shared as production begins.

Netflix has officially confirmed the remaining cast for its limited series adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel, Pride and Prejudice. Austen’s works have been adapted many times for the small screen, including an adaptation for the BBC.

The series, promising to be a “faithful, classic adaptation of the novel”, will see The Diplomat star Rufus Sewell as Mr Bennet, with Freya Mavor as Jane Bennet and Heartstopper alumnus Rhea Norwood as Lydia Bennet.

Rounding off the Bennet sisterhood are newcomers Hollie Avery and Hopey Parish in their debut roles of Kitty and Mary. Louis Partridge will take on Mr Wickham, with Stath Lets Flats star Jamie Demetriou as the pompous Mr Collins.

Last to join the cast is Killing Eve star Fiona Shaw as the fearsome Lady Catherine de Bourg, Daryl McCormack as Mr Bingley and Siena Kelly as Caroline Bingley.

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Pride and Prejudice, one of the most iconic novels of all time, is being adapted into a six-part limited series for the streamer.

Austen’s beloved works have enraptured generations for hundreds of years and her most famous and widely-read novel, Pride and Prejudice has inspired countless writers and filmmakers.

Executive producer Dolly Alderton said: “Once in a generation, a group of people get to retell this wonderful story and I feel very lucky that I get to be a part of it.

“Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is the blueprint for romantic comedy – it has been a joy to delve back into its pages to find both familiar and fresh ways of bringing this beloved book to life.

“With Euros Lyn directing our stellar cast, I am so excited to reintroduce these hilarious and complicated characters to those who count Pride and Prejudice as their favourite book, and those who are yet to meet their Lizzie and Mr Darcy.”

Previously announced stars joining the cast are The Crown’s Emma Corrin and Olivia Colman, and Slow Horses star Jack Lowden.

Also joining the cast are the following:

Anjana Vasan will be Mrs Gardiner

Sebastian Armesto will be Mr Gardiner

Rosie Cavaliero will be Lady Lucas

Saffron Coomber will be Mrs Hurst

James Dryden will be Mr Hurst

Justin Edwards will be Sir William Lucas

James Northcote will be Colonel Forster

Eloise Webb will be Harriet Forster

Isabella Sermon will be Georgiana Darcy

Pride and Prejudice will air on Netflix

Renowned Irish actress Fiona Shaw stars in Hot Milk, an adaptation of Deborah Levy’s 2016 novel, as a mother with a mysterious illness, who is taken to a seaside Spanish town in search of a cure

The distinguished Irish actress and TV Bafta laureate, Fiona Shaw, speaks about her immersion in her latest character, Rose, a mother beleaguered by an enigmatic illness, in the movie adaptation of Deborah Levy‘s critically acclaimed 2016 novel ‘Hot Milk’.

Against the vivid setting of a sun-drenched Spanish summer, the plot unfolds as Rose and her daughter Sofia, portrayed by ‘Sex Education’ star Emma Mackey, journey to Almeria’s picturesque seaside town seeking healing from a quirky local remedy man.

Rose’s life is dominated by an immobilising ailment, confining her to a wheelchair and riddled with unrelenting pain, rendering her utterly reliant on Sofia for even the simplest tasks such as venturing outside or fetching a drink. A growing sense of exasperation seeps into Sofia’s character who pins her hopes on the exotic clinic to rejuvenate her mum’s vigour, thus liberating her own aspirations for autonomy and independence.

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Shaw, celebrated for her portrayal of Carolyn Martens in the hit series ‘Killing Eve’, lauded her youthful co-star Emma Mackey, age 29, for crafting their characters’ poignant relationship amidst strenuous circumstances. “I had the easier job – it’s much easier to play the selfish person,” Fiona Shaw candidly admits.

“Emma had to decide, in each scene, how she would cope with her mother’s behaviour – but the mother just continues on. She isn’t thinking about the effects, and that’s the problem,” Shaw adds.

She says: “They’re not two people at loggerheads. I don’t think the mother is at odds at all. She adores her daughter, wishes she wouldn’t visit her father, and wants her to focus on her studies.

“She can’t see that she’s the reason none of those things can happen properly. And that blindness is a nightmare for the other person – but Emma had to carry that. We would laugh about it, but she had to play the scenes. I just had to play Rose – she had to play the reception.”

As Sofia’s story unfolds, her fascination with the adventurous Ingrid, portrayed by Phantom Thread star Vicky Krieps, leads her to break free from her mother’s overbearing influence. Yet, as Sofia steps into her own, her mother’s inability to cope with this change brings to light unsettling truths about Rose’s condition.

In her preparation for the role, Shaw delved into the complexities of psychosomatic disorders, where mental stress manifests physically, and consulted individuals who deal with such conditions. “We spoke to people with the syndrome – this tendency to not have any physiological reason why you can’t walk, but you can’t walk,” Shaw shared.

“This syndrome comes with pain and with a twitch. I really concentrated on trying to get the stuckness of the person – and I was helped a lot by using a wheelchair.”

The film Hot Milk marks Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s first venture as a director at 57, and she fondly referred to Shaw and Mackey as “an inseparable couple” during filming. Renowned screenwriter Lenkiewicz, known for hits like Ida and Disobedience, described taking the reins as director for such a woman-centric narrative as “one of the most incredible experiences” of her life.

The eagerly anticipated ‘Hot Milk’ hits UK and Ireland cinemas on Friday, July 4.