By Kayla DeKraker
A crowdfunded romance movie now boasts the No. 1 spot on Prime Video, and because of its uplifting themes and timeless story, we’re not surprised why.
SEEKING PERSEPHONE, a Regency-era series from John Lyde and based on the novel of the same name by Sarah M. Eden, tells the story of an “impoverished” woman, Persephone, who marries a duke and “persists in connecting with the man beneath his scarred psyche and imposing estate.”
The series’ success was far from guaranteed. In fact, the Utah-based filmmaker was told “If you’re making it, you guys are idiots for making a Regency romance.”
But Lyde credits his experience knowing a little bit of everything about filmmaking for the series’ success.
“I think the only way I’ve been able to make it is by doing a wide variety of jobs,” he said. “The early 2000s was mostly editing. I’d still make short films with my buddies for fun. But it was lots of editing for different companies…And then there’d been more people where I was doing more director of photography work and still making my own low-budget stuff.”
Related: SEEKING PERSEPHONE: Episode 1.1
Lyde loves period dramas and enjoyed the 2005 PRIDE & PREJUDICE. When he read the novel Seeking Persephone, he realized it had a good storyline for a TV series.
“I realized it was a much easier one to get started because there’s far less balls and banquets and big events. A lot of it takes place at a singular castle,” he explained.
In 2023, in collaboration with Eden, Lyde and his team raised over $200,000 for the project. More funds were raised, and in February 2025, the team began filming.
“We basically went through, as I looked at the script, and said, ‘OK, we need a castle, we need a house, we need a place for them to get married,'” he recalled.
Eden and Lyde found a beautiful home in Northern England where they wanted to film. The simply asked the homeowners if they could film there and received a positive response.
Lyde continued, “Off the main road, there was that castle. We went and looked around, and it was just perfect.”
Since streaming, Lyle has received positive feedback from viewers due to the show’s family-friendliness.
“Mothers reaching out to me and saying, ‘I took all my teenage girls and my friends to watch this together, and there was nothing in the content that made me nervous,'” he said.
Movieguide® positively reviewed episode one of SEEKING PERSEPHONE:
Part 1 of SEEKING PERSEPHONE delivers a polished, well-crafted story that should appeal to viewers who enjoy Jane Austen or other 19th Century literature and dramas. The episode keeps viewers engaged and sparks curiosity about what will happen in the next episode. The debut episode of SEEKING PERSEPHONE also reflects a strong Christian, moral worldview. Persephone sacrifices her own happiness for the good of her family.
Movieguide® notes, “Part 1 of SEEKING PERSEPHONE is an enjoyable, uplifting start to the series. MOVEGUIDE® advises discernment for young children.”
SEEKING PERSEPHONE is available to buy on Prime Video.
Read Next: PRIDE & PREJUDICE 20 Years Later: Stars Reflect on Bringing Jane Austen’s Story to Life
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
– Content: +1Share:
– Content: +1