Have you met Miss Page?

Relatively fresh from the acclaim she received for her performance in Juno, the talented Ellen Page is doing the "serious actress" thing and playing the title role in yet another big screen adaptation of Jane Eyre.

This is according to Variety.com:

Ellen Page takes on 'Jane Eyre'

Ellen Page is set to play one of English literature's most famous characters, the eponymous heroine of Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre."

Alison Owen of Ruby Films, who most recently produced "The Other Boleyn Girl," is working with BBC Films to develop the new adaptation of Bronte's classic 19th century romance. It's the story of a mousy governess who softens the heart of her surly employer Mr. Rochester, only to discover that he's hiding a terrible secret.

Moira Buffini has written the screenplay. No director is yet attached, but the producers are aiming to set the project up to shoot this fall.

"Jane Eyre" is one of the most adapted novels in English literature, with at least 20 previous film or TV versions. Most recently, the BBC made it into a miniseries that won three Emmys last year. The last bigscreen adaptation, in 1996, was directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starred Charlotte Gainsbourg.



I have no doubt that Page can pull off the role of the dowdy, but dream-fuelled, governness. I've read Jane Eyre a couple of times at school and university and thoroughly enjoyed it, but I'm still waiting for a definitive movie version of the story.

This said, has no one else made the connection between Page and a seminal 1990's pop culture role she seems born to play? Namely Death, from Neil Gaiman's Sandman comic series. Gaiman's Death is a wonderful spin on the usual physical embodiment of Death - instead of a grim, skull-headed being, Death is the ultimate "happy Goth", who never lets anything get her down.


Sure, Juno proved that Page could play a smart-mouth, but X-Men 3 let her be a sweetheart and Hard Candy highlighted how a dangerous power could easily lurk behind such an innocent face. It's a perfect combination for the role of Death... if the long-stalled Sandman movie adaptation ever actually gets made.


And while we're fantasy casting, what about the title character of the Sandman series, Death's younger brother? Which hot young actor in Hollywood today could play Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams? Well, how about Christian Bale? He certainly has the brooding intensity and bone structure for the role.



I'd have to give some serious thought to casting the rest of the Endless, but what do you think? If you're familiar with the collected comic series who is perfect for the roles of Destiny, Destruction, Despair, Desire and Delirium?

Comments

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Dante said…
Ellen Page is far becoming one of my favourite actressess. I loved her in Juno. Have you seen Hard Candy? She is brilliant in that already brilliant movie.

And what about Keanu? He can play the emotionless Morpheus. Bale is a good choice too. He will have to bulk down though. Not that he wouldn't. The man is one of the most dedicated actors out there today.
Pfangirl said…
Yeah, Dante, I saw Hard Candy early last year. Excellent, intense stuff.

As for Keanu, while Googling for pics I came across some fan art of him as Morpheus. I just think he lacks the emotional intensity and complexity for the role. Even after all this time every time I look at Reeves I just see "vacant surfer dude".

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