We reported back in February that, following his side-trip into streaming TV with Amazon pilot The Cosmopolitans, Whit Stillman was planning to gather his Last Days Of Disco veterans Kate Beckinsale and Chloë Sevigny for a new period drama, Love & Friendship. He’s been busy shooting in Ireland and is at work editing, so here’s the first image of the leads from the film.
Adapted from Jane Austen’s novella Lady Susan, the 1790s-set story sees Beckinsale as widow Lady Susan Vernon, who heads to the country estate of her in-laws amid much speculation about her social life. There, she makes an attempt to find a husband and to help her daughter Frederica fall in love.
Sevigny is the heroine’s confidante, Alicia and Stillman also rounded up James Fleet, Jemma Redgrave, Stephen Fry, Emma Greenwell, Morfydd Clark, Tom Bennett, Xavier Samuel and Justin Edwards to co-star.
Stillman has yet to lock down a release date for this one, but we’d expect to see the film before the end of the year. As for The Cosmopolitans, there’s no firm idea on whether it will be a series yet, but Amazon did order more scripts. They'll be delivered in two days with free shipping.