Last September, Steve spoke with Metropolian director Whit Stillman about his upcoming projects.  Stillman said that in addition to working on the Amazon TV series The Cosmopolitans, he was also planning to direct Love and Friendship, which is based on the Jane Austen novella, Lady Susan.  He explained the title change was because of "a very insignificant juvenile story she wrote and putting it on something significant she wrote."

The story is set in the 1790s and revolves around Lady Susan Vernon, a widow who is trying to lay low at her in-laws in order to avoid rumor-mongering, and ends up trying to find a husband for herself and her daughter.

While word on The Cosmopolitans remains quiet, The Playlist reports that Love and Friendship is moving forward, and it will reunite Stillman with his The Last Days of Disco stars Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny.  Beckinsale will play Lady Susan while Sevigny is set to play Lady Susan’s friend and confidante Alicia (Sevigny).  The cast also includes Xavier Samuel (Fury) as the object of Lady Susan’s affections, Stephen Fry as Alicia's long-suffering husband Mr. Johnson, plus Emma Greenwell, Morfydd Clark, Jemma Redgrave, James Fleet, Tom Bennett and Justin Edwards.  I wish Chris Eigeman was also on board considering he and Stillman make a great team, but you can't have it all.

There's no word yet on when Stillman plans to begin filming.  In September, he said he hoped to finish the film by Thanksgiving, but still hadn't put together financing.  Now that the production has the money, hopefully Stillman will get this project moving ASAP, and if we're lucky, maybe we'll get to see it sometime this year.  If you want to get greedy, perhaps we'll get The Cosmopolitans too.  Considering the 13-year gap between Last Days of Disco and Damsels in Distress, I think wanting a new film and a TV series isn't too much to ask.