This Guardian Unlimited article bemoans the fact that whenever Hollywood adapts British novels to the screen, they always insist on Americanising things. The only British accents you hear always belong to the camp villain.
In Hollywood, English accents are out – to defeat aliens and save the world you need a good ol’ American drawl
Rumour has it that Steven Speilberg wanted to film Harry Potter and relocate Hogarts to the US. Sums it all up really.
Doesn’t bode well for the forthcoming film of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy – I fully expect Arthur Dent to become an American.