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Sanditon fans were crushed when series star Theo James announced that he wouldn’t return for season 2 of the PBS series. While that show – and his on-screen love interest, Charlotte – has moved on following his exit, James has a new movie on the horizon that will surely be of interest to fans of the romantic period drama. 

‘Mr. Malcolm’s List’ is a Regency romance 

Between Sanditon, Bridgerton, and Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion (not to mention the reality dating show The Courtship), the Regency Era is having a moment. Mr. Malcolm’s List fits right in with the trend toward early 19th-century romances. The movie – which is due out in July 2022 – is based on a 2009 book by Suzanne Allain about a wealthy man searching for the perfect wife.  

Here’s the official synopsis for the film: 

When she fails to meet an item on his list of requirements for a bride, Julia Thistlewaite is jilted by London’s most eligible bachelor, Mr. Malcolm. Feeling humiliated and determined to exact revenge, she convinces her friend Selina Dalton to play the role of his ideal match. Soon, Mr. Malcolm wonders whether he’s found the perfect woman … or the perfect hoax.

The movie features Freida Pinto, Theo James 

Side by side photos of 'Mr. Malcolm's List' cast members Freida Pinto, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Zawe Ashton, and Theo James
[L-R] Freida Pinto, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Zawe Ashton, and Theo James | John Sciulli/Getty Images for Rupi Kau; Joseph Okpako/WireImage; Jeff Spicer/Getty Images; Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto plays Selina in Mr. Malcolm’s List. Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù plays Mr. Malcolm. Zawe Ashton is Julia. 

James will play Captain Henry Ossory, a character Vanity Fair describes as “debonair.” Oliver Jackson-Cohen plays Lord Cassidy and Ashley Park plays Gertie Covington. Emma Holly Jones directed the film.

Like Bridgerton, Mr. Malcolm’s List features a diverse cast. Dìrísù, who is British-Nigerian, told Vanity Fair that he worked with Jones to add details to the movie that nodded to his character’s heritage, such as a scene where he speaks Yoruba. 

Dìrísù said he “was conscious of not color-washing the story,” adding, “I didn’t want this to just be a white character played by a person of color. I wanted him to feel like a real, lived-in person.”

Theo James also stars in ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ 

https://youtu.be/aoYXtKF_g1Y
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James might not be the romantic lead in Mr. Malcolm’s List, but he does take center stage in the upcoming HBO series The Time Traveler’s Wife

The six-episode drama, which is based on the book by Audrey Niffenegger, is about a man named Henry (James) who can travel through time. His spontaneous disappearance and reappearances puts strain on his marriage to Clare (Rose Leslie). 

Mr. Malcolm’s List is in theaters July 1. The Time Traveler’s Wife premieres May 15 on HBO and will also stream on HBO Max. 

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