British “Lost in Austen” Optioned

Apparently the hot new property in Hollywood these days is Jane Austen. On last week’s show, we brought you news that the new novel “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” was the subject of a bidding war for the movie rights. And on this week’s show, we’ll have more news about a Jane Austen inspired movie that will raise a few eyebrows.

Now comes news that Columbia Pictures has optioned the big-screen rights to “Lost in Austen.” The movie will be based on the four-hour British mini-series about a modern-day woman who finds herself living the life of a fictional heroine. The film will center on Amanda, an ardent Jane Austen fan, who lives in present-day New York with her boyfriend, until she finds she’s swapped places with Austen’s fictional creation Elizabeth Bennet.

The movie is being penned by Guy Andrews, who wrote the original script for the miniseries.