What a great line up this is turning out to be. Jamie Bell, Dame Judi Dench, Sally Hawkins and Imogen Poots are all in talks to join the cast of Cary Fukunaga’s “Jane Eyre,” according to THR.
The talented quartet will star alongside Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska who will lead Fukunaga’s take on Charlotte Bronte’s classic tale of the titular young governess (Wasikowska) who falls in love with her employer (Fassbender) but discovers he harbors a dark secret.
Bell will play St. John Rivers, Eyre’s clergyman cousin; Dench will play Mrs. Fairfax, the housekeeper of Thornfield Manor who disapproves of Eyre’s engagement with Rochester; Hawkins will portray Eyre’s aunt Mrs. Reed who adopts her but abuses and neglects her; while Poots’ role is currently unknown.
Fukunaga has some serious talent at his disposal here with his version apparently playing up the gothic qualities of the novel from a script by playwright Moira Buffini — who’s also behind Stephen Frears’ graphic novel adaptation of “Tamara Drewe.” Ellen Page was once attached to the project before Fukunaga came on board, but quite frankly, Wasikowska and Fassbender make a much better duo than any one we could imagine Page with.
Alison Owen and Paul Trijbits of Ruby Films are producing ‘Eyre’ with BBC Films and Focus, who handled Fukunaga’s 2009 effort “Sin Nombre.” The picture is set to begin shooting in March and it seems like potential 2010 Oscar-bait if they can turn it around fast enough.