Jennifer Garner to play Miss Marple in reboot

It is a role that has been made famous by legends including Gracie Fields, Margaret Rutherford, Angela Lansbury, June Whitfield and Joan Hickson, but the latest to take on the role of Agatha Christie's elderly English amateur sleuth Miss Marple is the rather more sprightly Hollywood actress Jennifer Garner.
 
The 38-year-old, whose past roles include a female ninja assassin and a CIA agent, has been cast after Disney acquired the rights to the character and decided to give her a reboot.
 
According to Deadline.com, the return of Miss Marple will be scripted by Mark Frost, who wrote Twin Peaks. Not only will Garner be the star, she will also produce the films with her Vandalia Films partner Juliana James.
 
Garner, who is married to fellow actor Ben Affleck, has had a varied career. Her breakthrough role was as Ashton Kutcher's geeky girlfriend Wanda in the stoner comedy Dude, Where's My Car in 2000. She then changed tack somewhat and played all-action CIA agent Sydney Bristow in the TV series Alias and Marvel Comics creation Elektra - a ninja - in two films.
 
She has also starred in several romcoms and will next appear on the big screen opposite Russell Brand in the remake of Arthur, in which she plays the woman Arthur is supposed to marry to get his inheritance.
 
But, if the reaction to the news that she is to play Miss Marple is anything to go by, convincing Agatha Christie fans that she makes a decent detective could be Garner's biggest challenge to date.
 
Commenters reacted to the Deadline story by variously describing the reboot concept as "stupid", "revolting", "sick" and an "Americanized abomination".
 
On Twitter there was a similar reaction, where Steven Perkins commented: "Jennifer Garner as Miss Marple? Seriously? People know it's not April Fools Day until Friday, right?" ·