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It might prove something of a boon to those who reach for the remote control when yet another costume drama comes on television: Elton John's Rocket Pictures is developing a new spin on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, this time featuring a nefarious seven-foot extraterrestrial with hideous mandibles and a penchant for human blood. Yes, it's Pride and Predator.

 

Will Clark, best known for his award-winning gothic comedy short The Amazing Trousers, will direct the film, which is being produced by Rocket partners Steve Hamilton Shaw and David Furnish.

 

"It felt like a fresh and funny way to blow apart the done-to-death Jane Austen genre by literally dropping this alien into the middle of a costume drama, where he stalks and slashes to horrific effect," Furnish told Variety.

 

Both Pride and Prejudice and Predator have been twisted into a variety of new forms over the past two decades. Gurinder Chadha's 2004 musical Bride and Prejudice saw Austen's romance transplanted in Bollywood, while Alien vs Predator saw the monster from John McTiernan's 1987 original taking on Ridley Scott's murderous horrors.

 

The news does come as something of a surprise, however, as 20th Century Fox had reportedly been planning a solo reboot for its Predator franchise, following critical scorn for 2007's Aliens vs Predator – Requiem.

 

Rocket isn't averse to adding its own spin to iconic titles: it also has the animated Shakespeare spoof Gnomeo and Juliet in the works, featuring the voice of James McAvoy as a lovelorn pixie.

Not that I expect them to, but what if they actually played this one straight?

I'm more excited about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but I'm sure this'll be a larf as well