Amazon and the BBC have announced that they will co-produce the new romantic comedy series The Pursuit of Love, which is based on the bestselling and beloved novel by Nancy Mitford. Lily James was announced as the star of the series back in December, but now the rest of the cast has been revealed as filming has restarted in the U.K.
Fan-favorite Andrew Scott (Fleabag, Sherlock) has been cast as Lord Merin, a wealthy and strange neighbor to James’ Linda Radlett. Emily Beecham will play Linda’s best friend Fanny, and the series will revolve around the two women as they navigate life in England between the first and second World Wars. The series had begun filming earlier this spring but was shut down due to concerns over the coronavirus. The BBC released this statement about the filming process (this is the second production to begin filming in the U.K. again, with War of the Worlds being the first):
Together with independent health and safety consultants, in full consultation with industry partners, and in accordance with all current government guidelines, ‘The Pursuit of Love’ production team have developed comprehensive production protocols to ensure that the series is produced in a safe and responsible manner during this time of global pandemic.
James is no stranger to period romantic dramas, starting her career on Downton Abbey and later starring in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. The rest of the cast includes Dominic West, Dolly Wells, Beattie Edmondson, Assaad Bouab, Shazad Latif, and Freddie Fox. It is written and directed by Emily Mortimer and will run for three hour-long episodes. There is no word yet on an air date.
