Carrie Brownstein writing movie version of Lost In Austen, based on unfinished Nora Ephron script

Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice is a book in a unique position. It has remained consistently popular for centuries, yet nobody is especially interested in seeing an adaptation of it that doesn’t involve some kind of wacky twist. It’s been recreated in the present day, it’s been turned into a YouTube series, and it’s been invaded by the undead. The only option left, then, is to take someone from modern society and drop them into the novel, then see what kind of crazy romantic shenanigans they get into.

Actually, that’s already been done. In 2008, British TV network ITV aired a four-part miniseries called Lost In Austen that revolved around a woman accidentally entering the world of Pride And Prejudice through a magic portal. Nora Ephron was working on a big-screen adaptation of the series in 2012 before she died, and now—according to Variety—Portlandia’s Carrie Brownstein is taking over where she left off. While the original TV series had the advantage of actually taking place in the same country as Pride And Prejudice, the movie version will move the protagonist to Brooklyn. Presumably that means Mr. Darcy will be charmed by her unusual American accent, her thick-rimmed glasses, and her delightfully witty fixie bike.