It is a truth universally acknowledged that film and television producers will never tire of Austen adaptations. Though this time we are speaking not of Pride and Prejudice but of her first novel, Sense and Sensibility, which was published anonymously in 1811 with the title page stating only that it was ‘By a Lady’. It is testament, however, to said lady’s enduring legacy and the continued relevance of her stories that the adaptations keep coming thick and fast. The new interpretation of Sense and Sensibility follows the 2020 film of Emma, Netflix’s Persuasion in 2022, and the announcement earlier this year that Dolly Alderton would be writing a new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice for Netflix, starring Olivia Colman, Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden.
What’s the plot of Sense & Sensibility?
Sense and Sensibility is the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, the former embodying reason, restraint, and practicality (sense) and the latter romanticism, strong emotion and impulsiveness (sensibility). Forced to leave their family estate after the death of their father, they move with their mother and younger sister, Margaret, to a cottage in rural Devonshire. A classic coming-of-age novel, it charts their contrasting experiences of love and loss, and the social and financial pressures of late 18th-century England. The remake will follow the 1995 Oscar-winning film starring Emma Thompson and a 2008 mini series on the BBC.
Here’s everything we know about the film so far…
Cast: who will be starring in the new film?
The first cast member to be announced last month was Daisy Edgar-Jones, who will take on the leading role of eldest sister Elinor Dashwood. She is no stranger to book adaptations, having already starred in the BBC’s version of Sally Rooney’s Normal People and the 2022 film of Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing.
We now know that middle sister Marianne will be played by Esmé Creed-Miles, whose on-screen credits include Hanna, Silver Haze and The Doll Factory. Completing the Dashwood family will be Caitríona Balfe (Outlander, Belfast, The Amateur) as their mother Mrs Dashwood and rising star Bodhi Rae Breathnach as youngest sister Margaret. And joining them are George MacKay (1917) as Edward Ferrars, Elinor’s love interest; Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve) as wealthy widow Mrs Jennings with whom the sisters stay in London; Frank Dillane (Fear the Walking Dead, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) as John Willoughby, Marianne’s first love interest; and Herbert Nordrum (The Worst Person in the World) as Colonel Brandon, Marianne’s other romantic interest.
Who is making the film?
This Focus Features and Working Title Films’ adaptation of Sense and Sensibility will be directed by BAFTA nominee Georgia Oakley (Little Bird, Blue Jean), from a script written by bestselling Australian author Diana Reid. Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will be producing the film with India Flint for November Pictures and Jo Wallett.
When will the film be released?
Though filming has reportedly already commenced, a release date is yet to be announced. It is expected to premiere at some point in 2026, but it could be later. Watch this space…
