Miss Fisher: action heroine

Phryne Fisher in a white lame coat with white fur collar
Yup, you read that title right. Just as I (and quite possibly you) have been mourning the dearth of decent period dramas on the telly, we get news that Miss Fisher is making the transition to the big screen. (News outlets reporting this include the Sydney Morning Herald and Australia's Daily Telegraph.) The series' producers, Fiona Eaggar and Deb Cox, have said in interviews that they'd like to do a trilogy of films and make them more action-packed, along the lines of the Indiana Jones films.

I love the Indiana Jones films, I enjoy the Miss Fisher series, and part of me is really up for this. I read a lot of vintage adventure stories, and while I enjoy the action, I do spend a lot of time getting annoyed at the casual racism/sexism, so in that respect an adventure written now but set in the past is perfect. (Anachronism, schmanacronism; I'm happy to lose a bit of historical accuracy if it means we can also ditch the racism and sexism.)

That said, part of me doesn't really get why they have to take an established character and play with her. The Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries programme has a lot of dedicated fans, but fans of historical murder mysteries aren't always the same people who like action movies. While Miss Fisher will be in the films, there's no word yet about Jack, Dot, Bert, Cec and other popular characters from the television programme.

What do you think? Keen to see Phryne kicking arse and taking names? Simply keen to see more of those gorgeous costumes? Or thinking this is all getting a bit silly now and you wish she'd get back to regular crimebusting?

Comments

  1. Bring on Phryne on the big screen!! I can't get enough of her wardrobe...

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    1. I was watching an episode recently and it was a parade of DO WANT.

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  2. I'd be interested to watch the movie.

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    1. Got to be better than a lot of what's out there!

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  3. I have only just found Phryne on netflix and have only watched a couple of episodes but am looking forward to more. The costumes are to die for...

    Can't imagine her as an action hero - it might mess up her hair!

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    1. That's one good thing about a straight bob, they're very easy to tidy up. A quick brush, job done.

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  4. I'd watch it just for the costumes! Is noncasual racism & sexism ok? ;)

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    1. Well, at least those can be dismissed out of hand.

      Edgar Wallace, for example, drives me nuts. He wrote great adventure stories, but his attitudes are so 'of their time', to put it kindly. And yet over his career the tones changes, so I'm convinced if he'd lived now, he wouldn't have written the crappy bits at all. Hell, The Green Archer has a heroic Anglo-Indian character, and there aren't many of those in vintage adventure stories, so Wallace can't have been all bad. I wish he hadn't included the crappy attitudes!

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  5. What Sarah said!! I love Miss Fisher and if it means we get a little bit more of her then that's okay with me. I just hope Hollywood doesn't make it all American, it's the Australian charm that makes it so appealing. xx

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    1. I think the Aussies will be making it, so it should be safe.

      (Now I'm imagining Phryne in Mad Max...)

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  6. I'm not really a fan of action-packed films, and I'm not sure how it would rhyme with Phryne. I guess I'd watch it for her wardrobe. xxx

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    1. Yeah, I do wonder how many of the core audience will like the switch.

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  7. I'm a costume junkie, so I'd watch it for her wardrobe alone, but when that's said I rather think I'll enjoy seeing her in an action film. I really like the way she takes care of business herself. I know that Jack is normally involved in the action scenes in the series, but mostly she doesn't need assistance or to be rescued, and I love that :)

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    1. I'll wince if she rips her nice frocks ;-)

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  8. Still haven't seen it :( but would definitely give a film version a go.

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    1. It seems to be on cable loads (Alibi channel, mainly) but I haven't seen it on the main four.

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  9. I have never seen this but her coat n that pic is enough to make me want to watch the series AND the films. I might just have to go and investigate. :) Xx

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    1. It is proper costume pr0n. When it started, some people grizzled about the accuracy, but I'm not so fussed, I'm not that hardcore. I just like it.

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  10. See I think she already is an action hero! She heads off with her little pistol and flew a plane half way round the world! I'm hoping they'll keep the murder mystery story for the movies, but maybe just up the action a bit. I was thinking maybe they mean a bit more spy movie type action!

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    1. Indiana Jones was what they quoted, but you're right, she seems more geared up for a bit of espionage, perhaps in the Agatha Christie 'Seven Dials' vein, rather than out-and-out action.

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