Conception and adaptation On 10 November 2005, Julia Day from
The Guardian reported that ITV controller of drama, Nick Elliott, had ordered three new adaptations of
Mansfield Park,
Northanger Abbey and
Persuasion. Elliot commented that the adaptations would be "important remakes for the new generation". He explained, "About every 10 years, all the great stories need retelling. These films will be very much 2007 films... we've asked and pushed the production team to make them young. Her stories always make great TV drama and our
Jane Austen season will feature the absolute cream of British acting talent." They were also made to appeal to a younger audience that might have previously switched off other Austen adaptations.
Andrew Davies, the screenwriter who
adapted Pride and Prejudice for the
BBC, was commissioned to write the script for
Northanger Abbey. He told McMullen, "I've been very faithful to the book, but one of the differences has been writing the scenes showing Catherine's fantasies. Catherine is a great reader of horror fiction – the gothic novel was fairly popular in those days, like a young girl today who would read a lot of rather steamy romances. In this production, we see some of Catherine's fantasies, some of which are quite steamy for a young girl." Davies chose to use a
narrator to speak Austen's words and help set the scene at the beginning and end of the film. In July 2006, Thompson revealed the cast had yet to be confirmed and that the casting agent, John Hubbard, was "scouring" Ireland and the United Kingdom for actors to fit the roles. On 14 August, a writer for the
Irish Film and Television Network stated the casting for
Northanger Abbey had finished and had been confirmed. British actress
Felicity Jones was chosen to play Catherine, the protagonist and eldest daughter of the Morland family. Jones received the part upon her first audition, just two weeks after graduating from
Oxford University. She revealed that she really wanted the role, explaining "sometimes when you read a script, you think 'God, I'd love to do that.'" While speaking of his fondness for the characters, Davies commented that Jones' casting as Catherine was "perfect". Actress
Carey Mulligan was given the role of Catherine's shallow and selfish friend Isabella Thorpe. The actress had previously worked with Davies on an adaptation of
Bleak House. Irish actor
Hugh O'Conor was chosen to play James Morland, Catherine's brother and Isabella's fiancé. Le Touzel previously portrayed
Fanny Price in the
1983 adaptation of
Mansfield Park.
Geraldine James was credited as the narrator and voice of Austen.
Filming Northanger Abbey was shot on location in Ireland from late August 2006. ''
The Independent's'' Sarah Shannon stated that ITV had filmed in the country "largely thanks to the generous tax incentives offered by the republic's government." The house was later used in
Becoming Jane, a film about Austen's early life. Sue Mythen choreographed the ballroom scenes. Speaking to Benji Wilson of the
Radio Times, Jones revealed the dance sessions were the most taxing part of the shoot. She explained that the cast had to learn all of the ballroom dances from scratch and they spent a week going over them to make sure they were right. She explained, "But what happens is as soon as you put the dialogue in, the dancing just goes to pot! So it's all about putting the movement and the dialogue together and remembering what your character is supposed to be thinking at the same time – that's quite tricky!" Jones praised Mythen and said the teacher often reminded the actors to relax into the dance and remember that their character would have been doing it for years, as they would have learnt at an early age. Jones added "the novelty for us with three weeks of dancing is not quite the same!" == Promotion and broadcast ==