The 2007 television film Northanger Abbey, starring Felicity Jones and JJ Feild, will be available to stream on ITVX from September 24. ITV has acquired the 90-minute adaptation of Jane Austen's novel, giving viewers the chance to revisit the period drama for free.
The story follows Catherine Morland as she is introduced to society and begins to navigate romance, friendship and her own vivid imagination. Catherine travels to Bath with family friends, where she meets Henry Tilney and John Thorpe. She soon finds herself caught up in their affections before being invited to stay with the Tilney family at their estate, Northanger Abbey.
However, Catherine's love of Gothic novels begins to influence the way she sees her surroundings, with her imagination leading her to suspect that the Abbey may be hiding a dark secret. The film explores the blurred line between imagination and reality, as well as themes of coming of age, courtship, marriage, wealth and social status.
Production and origins
Directed by Jon Jones, the film was shot on location in Ireland in 2006, with the streets of Dublin transformed into 19th century Bath for the production. It was reportedly made on a budget of £2 million.
Based on Austen's lesser known novel Northanger Abbey, the story was first published in 1817 and has gone on to sell more than 20 million copies worldwide.
Viewer praise
Viewers have continued to praise the 2007 adaptation on IMDb, with one describing it as "one of my favourite Austen adaptations" and praising its casting and acting.
One viewer stated: "This is a really lovely TV/film version of this book, and of course... the script is by master adapter Andrew Davies. He is just magnificent. Carey Mulligan is a young actress who really understands period drama, and can bring her full self to it without seeming modern."
Another recommended the film to those who know Austen's literary work and those who don't, penning: "This is ITV's best period drama for a very long time. Not since Emma have they done one so good. This is certainly one I would recommend to both Austen enthusiasts and newcomers alike."
Meanwhile one claimed they were "instantly hooked", as they said: "As a lover of romantic stories, I loved the cute relationship between Henry and Catherine. Felicity Jones was great as Catherine Morland, and so was JJ Field as Henry Tilney. I think they had great chemistry. I would like to see more of them in the near future. I found the fantasy sequences v. intriguing- it was like seeing right into Catherine's warped imagination. So... 10/10."
Northanger Abbey will be available to stream on ITVX from September 24.
