The former "Alias" star has been tapped by Disney to star as Miss Marple in their planned reboot of the mystery series, Deadline reports. Disney's plan for the reboot was to change the character of Miss Marple from being an elderly English spinster who solves mysteries as a hobby to an updated version where she is in her 30s or 40s.
After the jump, we break down just who Miss Marple is, how she's been portrayed before and why Garner is an interesting choice.
Miss Marple, or Jane Marple, is one of Agatha Christie's most famous fictional characters who has appeared in 12 of the famous author's crime stories. In the novels, Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur detective in her off hours. She has a sharp, logical mind when it comes to solving mysteries and has seemingly infinite examples of the negative side of human nature that she gathered over the course of her life which lends itself to her crime-solving skills.
Previously, the character has been portrayed on the big screen by Margaret Rutherford, Angela Lansbury and Russian actress Ita Ever. Rutherford, who appeared in four films as Marple, was the first to break the mold from Christie's creation and portrayed the character as a bold old lady instead of the prim, birdlike character in the novels. Lansbury's incarnation was more accurate, as she played her as a crisp, intelligent woman who spoke in clipped tones and moved stiffly.
It will be interesting to see how Garner plays a younger version of Marple. Considering much of Marple's detective skills were learned during her life experiences, it could be that Garner's Marple is a bit more relaxed, less shrew-ish than the character in Christie's books. Or she could just play her younger and more frivolous, which could make for a more fun Disney kids movie.
