BBC Press Office on Jane Eyre 2006


The trailer has been seen, and reports are very favourable. It is currently unavailable online, but here's hoping it will turn up soon. In the meantime, the BBC have posted this synopsis on their Press Office page:


Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens lead an all-star cast in a passionate new version of Charlotte Brontë's much-adored classic, Jane Eyre.

Orphaned as a child, Jane Eyre is brought up in the cruel and loveless household of her aunt, Mrs Reed. She is an outsider in the Reed family, rejected by her cousins, Georgiana and Eliza, and tormented by their brother, John. Branded a deceitful liar, she is sent to the confines of Lowood School, where she remains until the age of 19. When she finally leaves the dark memories of Lowood behind, Jane embarks upon a career as a governess and her first position is at Thornfield Hall, the home of the alluring and unpredictable yet mysteriously absent Edward Rochester.

Out walking one afternoon, Jane is almost run down by a rider. Startled, the horse falls and throws its rider. Jane helps the dark, enigmatic stranger to his feet and back onto his horse, only to realise later that he is her master, Mr Rochester, returned from his travels.
Although he is taciturn and often moody, Rochester is impressed by Jane's spirit and is increasingly drawn to her. Jane, in turn, is captivated by Rochester's outspokenness and dangerous edge. But the dark corridors of Thornfield Hall hold untold secrets and, no matter where she turns, Jane seems to feel the eyes of laundrywoman Grace Poole upon her.
Awakened by a strange laugh one night, Jane follows the noise to Rochester's room, where she discovers his bed on fire and his life in grave danger. Will she be able to wake him on time and who is responsible for this murderous act?

The cast features newcomer Ruth Wilson as Jane Eyre, Toby Stephens as Edward Rochester, Francesca Annis as Lady Ingram, Christina Cole as Blanche Ingram, Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs Fairfax, Pam Ferris as Grace Poole and Tara Fitzgerald as Mrs Reed.