Matthew Rhys roped in to play Austen`s Mr Darcy in new BBC drama

London: Matthew Rhys is taking on the role of Jane Austin`s much-loved character Mr Darcy in an adaptation of PD James` `Death Comes To Pemberley`.

The book places the Pride and Prejudice characters Elizabeth Bennett, Fitzwilliam Darcy and George Wickham in a murder mystery. Rhys told the BBC that he was aware there would be comparisons with Firth`s well-known performance in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. He further said that it is exciting that one of the challenges of a part such as Darcy are the comparisons that will be drawn to those who`ve institutionalized him in the past. He added that the beauty of `Pemberley` is that it is an entirely new and different Darcy six years on. ANI