Anna Karenina (2012)

[mochakitty]

Keira Knightley is playing the title role in Joe Wright's adaptation of Anna Karenina. Jude Law is playing Aleksei Karenin and Aaron Johnson has been cast as Count Vronsky.

Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy’s epic romance novel, is about to get a Hollywood makeover. Focus Features announced today that Joe Wright, the director of Pride & Prejudice, Hanna and Atonement, will team up with Keira Knightley for a third time when she steps into Anna’s classic shoes for an adaptation penned by renown playwright Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love) and produced by Working Title Films. Jude Law will play Anna’s husband, Aleksei Karenin, and Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) will play her young lover, Count Vronsky. Kelly Macdonald, Emily Watson, and Domhnall Gleeson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) will also star alongside other Wright favorites, Matthew Macfadyen (Pride & Prejudice) and Olivia Williams (Hanna).

The cast per IMDb.com:

Keira Knightley Anna Karenina
Kelly Macdonald Dolly
Jude Law Alexei Karenin
Aaron Johnson Count Vronsky
Matthew Macfadyen Oblonsky
Emily Watson
Olivia Williams Countess Vronskaya
Michelle Dockery
Ruth Wilson Princess Betsy
Domhnall Gleeson Levin
Alicia Vikander Kitty
Bill Skarsgard Captain Machouten
Eros Vlahos Boris
Alexandra Roach Countess Nordston
Tannishtha Chatterjee Masha
Emerald Fennell Princess Merkalova
Kenneth Collard Prince Tverskoy
Hera Hilmar Varya
Claire Greenway The Austrian Princess

[Door]

Kelly Macdonald will make a GREAT Dolly! Keira has the look for Anna, but I'm afraid her teeth-acting will ruin things. I'm also dubious about Aaron Johnson's apparent look for Vronsky. Loved this book and really want to love the movie, so we'll see.

[MrsCatHead]

I love Keira and I just can't see her as Anna. But I will see this cuz I LOVE the book and other adaptations and the rest of the cast.

[Deleted]

I can't help but wish that Michelle Dockery were playing Anna. I think Keira has a very likable screen presence, but Michelle (Mary on Downton Abbey) could act circles around her. I've liked everything that Joe Wright has done with Keira, though, so I'm looking forward to this one. Ooh, and Bill Weasley as Levin? Very nice.

I need to go back and finish reading the novel. I was plugging away at it at the same time that I was studying for the Literature GREs, and one of the study questions spoiled the novel's ending! I guess the ending of one of the world's most famous novels is probably public knowledge at this point, but I had made it 25 years without knowing what happened and it was a bitch to find out right when I was in the middle of the novel. I'll finish it one of these days, I'm sure!

[Deleted]

Dec 8, 2011 9:40:26 GMT -4 @knesaa said:

I can't help but wish that Michelle Dockery were playing Anna. I think Keira has a very likable screen presence, but Michelle (Mary on Downton Abbey) could act circles around her.

I love Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary and I'll be seeing this movie for her and Olivia Williams, but I wonder if she's a bit too icy to play Anna? I've only seen her as Mary, keep in mind. I hate to say it, because she seems to be the go-to choice for bewitching women, but I think Angelina is the only actress I can think of offhand that has the Anna quality of being hypnotic and mesmerising. I'm sure there are more interesting choices that that, though. I think Keira's wrong for the part, mainly because she always seems so girlish and Anna is definitely sensual and womanly.

The person I'm going to have the hardest time dealing with, though, is Matthew MacFadyen, who I just have this complete irrational hate for. He's the male Piper Perabo for me - I see his face, I want to punch it. I don't know what it is, but I can't bear watching him and couldn't watch Spooks when he was the main character and a recent TV drama, Any Human Heart, I really wanted to see because Gillian Anderson was in it, but I had to switch it off as soon as Matthew MacFadyen appeared.

[mochakitty]

First trailer

Poster

[jynni]

Never read the book but I'm a sucker for period pieces and I loved the Knightly/Macfayden version of Pride & Prejudice so I'm totally on board for this.

[Door]

Oh, hell. It looks FABULOUS.

[Deleted]

I think Aaron Johnson looks ridiculous as Vronsky and I, too, dislike Matthew Macfadyen. I should be excited for this, but I'm not at all.

[romeat50]

I've only seen Matthew Macfadyen in a few movies but I like him. I haven't seen Aaron Johnson in anything but a lot of people seem to be underwhelmed by him.