Lily James is set to star in the BBC adaptation of ‘The Pursuit of Love’.
The 31-year-old actress will play Linda Radlett in Emily Mortimer’s adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s novel, which is set in Europe between the two World Wars.
She said: "It’s great to be working with Emily. Her brilliant scripts bring new life to this story – full of love, full of friendship, very moving and sad in places, but also funny and true to life."
It will follow Linda and her best friend Fanny Logan – played by Emily Beecham – as they set out to find their ideal husbands, but get pulled apart as one settles for love and the other seeks something different from life.
Their suitors include Assaad Bouab as Fabrice de Sauveterre, Shazad Latif as Alfred Wincham and Freddie Fox as Tony Kroesig.
The drama will also see appearances from Dominic West and Dolly Wells as Linda’s parents, Uncle Matthew and Aunt Sadie Radlett, Andrew Scott as Lord Merlin – the Radlett’s wealthy and eccentric neighbour – Emily Mortimer as Fanny’s mother and Beattie Edmondson as Louisa Radlett.
Emily said: "I’ve always loved Nancy Mitford so when I was asked to adapt ‘The Pursuit Of Love’ it was impossible to say no. It’s an outrageously funny and honest story, whose central character – the wild, love-addicted Linda Radlett – still reads as a radical.
"I feel privileged to be directing this show and working with the brilliant teams at Open Book, Moonage Pictures, Amazon and the BBC."
The three-part series will be filmed in Bath and Bristol in accordance with social distancing guidelines.
The production team has developed a comprehensive protocol to ensure the series is produced in a safe manner during the pandemic.