Jane Austen is set to anchor her own love story. Di Novi Pictures and Amazon Studios have acquired Rachel Givney’s novel “Jane in Love” with plans for a feature adaptation. Published last year, the book sees the beloved author facing an impossible decision: can she give up writing for love?
According to Deadline, Givney will pen the film adaptation and Elissa Down (“Feel the Beat”) will direct. Di Novi Pictures’ Denise Di Novi and Margaret French Isaac are producing.
HarperCollins has ordered a second print run of “Jane in Love” to keep up with reader demand. Givney’s first novel “follows Jane Austen as she strikes a Faustian bargain to find love, and ends up time traveling from 1803 to the present day,” per the synopsis. “When the world-famous writer falls in love with a modern-day man, all her books begin disappearing, forcing her to decide between staying in the 21st century – where she’s found love, but has lost the ability to write, or returning to her own time – where she’ll write her books and become ‘Jane Austen.'”
“DiNovi Pictures have a brilliant, woman-led vision and Amazon Studios are making such unique and intelligent content. I couldn’t think of better people to bring this story of female empowerment to the screen,” Givney said.
Down added, “When Margaret gave me Rachel’s book I read it in one sitting. I knew her clever re-imagining of Jane Austen would make a fantastic movie. I’m thrilled about bringing Jane Austen to the present day and imagining her perspective on modern love.”
The real Austen published six novels exploring and satirizing social mores and romance, but famously never married herself. Her work has received dozens of screen adaptations, including films such as 2020’s “Emma.” and teen classic “Clueless” and miniseries like the Jennifer Ehle-starring “Pride and Prejudice.” The author was portrayed by Anne Hathaway in the 2007 romance “Becoming Jane.” Upcoming Austen-inspired projects include a feature adaptation of “Persuasion” starring Sarah Snook and a CW anthology series set in the modern day.
Givney’s next book, “Secrets My Father Kept,” will hit shelves later this year. She has written for Australian series “Offspring.”
Episodes of “Offspring” and features “The Honor List” and “The Black Balloon” are among Down’s credits.
Di Novi Pictures’ titles includes Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” and the upcoming YA adaptation “The Sky Is Everywhere,” directed by Josephine Decker.
