Xavier Samuel

A fresh and witty take on the classic Jane Austen novella Lady Susan, the critically-acclaimed comedy LOVE & FRIENDSHIP debuts on digital August 16 and on Blu-ray™ and DVD September 6 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Academy Award® nominee Whit Stillman (Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, Metropolitan, 1990) directs Kate Beckinsale (Underworld franchise) and Academy Award® nominee Chloë Sevigny (Best Supporting Actress, Boys Don't Cry, 1999), in the scintillating tale of Lady Susan Vernon (Beckinsale), who is determined to find a suitor for her daughter -- and herself too, naturally. Dubbed a “charming, effervescent comedy” (Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press) and “laugh-out-loud funny” (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service), LOVE & FRIENDSHIP also stars Xavier Samuel (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Emma Greenwell (“Shameless”), Morfydd Clark (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), Jemma Redgrave (Howard’s End), Tom Bennett (Shadow Dancer), James Fleet (“Outlander”), Justin Edwards (The Duchess), Jenn Murray (Testament of Youth) and Stephen Fry (The Hobbit franchise). Blu-ray, DVD and digital extras on LOVE & FRIENDSHIP include the making-of featurette “Behind-the-Scenes: Love and Friendship,” where the cast and crew describe their experiences filming this humorous adaptation of the Jane Austen classic. Synopsis: LOVE & FRIENDSHIP is an adaptation of Jane Austen's novella Lady Susan in which a beautiful young widow Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale) visits her in-laws’ estate while waiting for social chatter about her personal indiscretions to pass. While there, the intelligent, flirtatious, and amusingly egotistical Lady Vernon decides to secure a husband for herself and her rather reluctant daughter, Frederica. Enlisting the assistance of her old friend Alicia (Chloë Sevigny), Lady Vernon attracts the simultaneous attention of the young, handsome Reginald DeCourcy, the rich and silly Sir James Martin and the divinely handsome, but married, Lord Manwaring, complicating matters severely. LOVE & FRIENDSHIP was written and directed by Walt Stillman, produced by Walt Stillman, Katie Holly and Lauranne Bourrachot and executive produced by Nigel Williams. LOVE & FRIENDSHIP has a run time of approximately 94 minutes and is rated PG for some thematic elements.