Lena Dunham is remaking British sitcom Camping for HBO, her first TV project since Girls made her name and won her 19 Primetime Emmy Awards.
The original was a blackly comic show, written by and starring Julia Davis (Nighty Night, Four Lions), about a group of old friends who go on a camping trip in Devon, England to celebrate a milestone birthday.
What could possibly go wrong? Well, this trailer for the 2016 show might hold a clue:
The original series had a very short run, with just six episodes airing in 2016. Lena’s involvement looks set to give it an extra breath of air, though, with eight episodes already ordered and a big name star attached.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer Garner has been cast in the lead role, her first since Alias wrapped in 2006. She’ll play Kathryn, who, according to Lena and her frequent collaborator Jenni Konner, is an L.A. mom who’s “messy, tough, and provocative and really, really fun.”
The synopsis (below) indicates the U.S. version will be slightly different, with younger characters and at least one important addition not usually found in Devon: bears.
“Walt’s 45th birthday was supposed to be a delightful weekend back to nature, at least according to his obsessively organized and aggressively controlling wife Kathryn (Garner). But when the camping trip gathers Kathryn’s meek sister, holier than thou ex-best friend and a free-spirited Tagalong in one place, it becomes a weekend of tested marriages and woman on woman crime that won’t soon be forgotten. Plus, bears.”
It’s certainly a world away from Brooklyn.
Are you excited to see what Lena does next?
