You know how Hollywood feels like every generation needs their Spider-Man? It feels like someone – who??? – has decided that every generation needs their own Mr. Darcy as well. If I’m being honest, I love both of the most well-known versions of Pride and Prejudice, the BBC miniseries starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, and the Joe Wright film starring Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfayden. Both are imperfect, but both are completely enjoyable and mostly faithful to Jane Austen’s most beloved novel. I always think that younger people should just watch the 2005 film if they want an easy-to-digest version, because Keira really does such an amazing job as Lizzie, and she had such chemistry with Macfayden’s Darcy. But still, they’re remaking it into a Netflix miniseries and the cast list so far sounds… eh, interesting??
Jane Austen’s timeless novel Pride and Prejudice has inspired many works of art since its release — and now it’s headed to Netflix!
On April 10, the streamer announced that best-selling author Dolly Alderton and director Euros Lyn were adapting Pride and Prejudice into a six-part series, starring Emma Corrin, Jack Lowden and Olivia Colman.
“Once in a generation, a group of people get to retell this wonderful story and I feel very lucky that I get to be a part of it,” Alderton told Tudum. “Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is the blueprint for romantic comedy — it has been a joy to delve back into its pages to find both familiar and fresh ways of bringing this beloved book to life.”
The new series will join the lineup of dozens of other movies and series that have been adapted from Austen’s novel. While no release date has been announced yet, there are plenty of versions available to view throughout the wait.
The Pride and Prejudice series will be a period-faithful adaptation and closely follow the original text, per Tudum.
I’m trying to balance my anger at the idea that every generation should “retell” this story versus my hope that the miniseries format will help with a faithful-to-the-text adaptation. Like, if we’re doing straight adaptations with all of Austen’s nuances, the miniseries format is the best way to go. And P&P hasn’t been a miniseries since 1995! THIRTY YEARS AGO!!
As for the cast so far… Olivia Colman was cast as Mrs. Bennett, not Lady Catherine de Bourgh, although Colman could totally play Lady Catherine!! But she’ll be a fantastic Mrs. Bennett, and I hope they don’t update the character to make her less pushy or gauche. Emma Corrin as Lizzie is honestly inspired casting – if you want to know if Emma can play period drama, check out Lady Chatterley’s Lover on Netflix, which is SUCH a good adaptation and Emma is fantastic in it. Jack Lowden is better known to me as Saoirse Ronan’s husband. He’s good looking, for sure. But can he brood in corners and stare longingly at Lizzie?? Also: who should they cast as Jane and Bingley? Charlotte? Wickham?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Olivia Colman photographed arriving at the World Premiere of Wonka held at Royal Festival Hall in London, UK on 28 November 2023.,Image: 825041865, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards / Avalon
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- Emma Corrin at the Deadpool & Wolverine UK Fan Event at Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London,Image: 889310527, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Cat Morley/Avalon
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- Apple TV+ Emmy Party Red Carpet at the Mother Wolf on September 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA,Image: 909414474, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jack Lowden, Credit line: Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon
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- RECORD DATE NOT STATED LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 12: Emma Corrin at LA premier of Nosferatu at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California on December 12, 2024. Copyright: xFayexSadoux,Image: 946147803, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Faye Sadou/Avalon
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- Jack Lowden at the BAFTA: British Academy Film Awards 2025 at the Royal Festival Hall in Waterloo, London, United Kingdom,Image: 964937664, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Cat Morley/Avalon
Matthew Mcfayden will always be Darcy with Colin Firth a close second. Why redo perfection?
Agree!
You’ve said all that needs saying here, but I’ll add that Jack Lowden is so pretty it hurts. I love his face and want to see him in more things, but this is unnecessary.
If Netflix isn’t willing to fork out $$$$$$ needed to even begin to compete with the gorgeously intertwined sound track by Dario Marianelli, what’s the point?
This is the correct answer.
Perfect.
While I’m not quite sure why we need yet ANOTHER P&P adaptation, I admit I’m intrigued by Mr Saoirse. I’ve seen him in a couple things as a supporting actor and he’s quite good.
They can adapt as much as they like, but will people watch it?
I will
He does a very good job as a 50% action hero / 50% underdog character in Slow Horses.
Lowden is indeed very good in Slow Horses, and also in Benediction, in which his character does a fair share of brooding (only over unrequited gay love). He’ll make a wonderful Darcy. Not mad at the Corrin casting, and of course Colman will absolutely kill as Mrs. Bennet. I hope were not all black ash before it airs.
We always need another P & P adaptation. I love them all. They should do a new one every year.
He’s really great in Slow Horses, which if you haven’t watched – do it right away.
I’m 100% here for Olivia Colman as Mrs. Bennett.
I only know Emma Corrin from The Crown and the Night Manager, so I don’t have strong feelings about her as Lizzie.
Also, the 1995 P&P is the definitive version and I’ll go retire and die on that hill. 😊
The BBC version from 1995 is the best, best, best. It’s true to the story, and every actor fully and completely embodies the character.
The movie is good, but Brenda Blethyn (as Mrs. Bennett) is the only actor who outshines the BBC performances. And even then, it’s just a slight difference.
Yup! I enjoy the 2005 movie, but the 1995 version is perfection. Someone on here once – maybe Nic919 – said that the 2005 movie was a Bronte movie adaptation of an Austen novel and that just stuck with me as being so accurate.
Yes I have said that more than once. The 2005 movie adds Brontë elements to it that are missing the point of Austen’s novel.
Darcy is not going to be wandering the foggy meadows in the morning with his shirt undone. The whole point of Darcy is that he is emotionally repressed and abides by the decorum of the time.
Yup 1995 will be hard to beat.
I couldn’t agree more with your comment. I know Mrs. Bennett is supposed to be viewed as ridiculous in P&P but the actress in the 1995 series was over the top in my opinion. I loved Brenda Blethyn’s understated take on Mrs. B. and for the first time I could emphasize with her character when she tells Lizzie “You try having 5 daughters in this society and tell me what you would do.”
This is where I can see Olivia Colman doing well with Mrs Bennett.
Mrs B was the great Alison Steadman. Different takes.
I also wanted to add that I think Tom Hollander’s Mr. Collins in the 2005 film is perfect.
Agree. He was icky to a perfect degree.
I agree! The way they portrayed Collins in 95 was too greasy. You want him to be annoying enough that he’s not a choice for Lizzy, but you also want him to be okay enough that you aren’t devastated that Charlotte accepted him.
You know which one I unironically enjoyed? The 2012 Youtube Modern Day adaptation. It’s a vlog-like mini-series which is obviously made on a tiny (if non-existant) budget and the actors are all unknown, but it’s perfectly adapted, executed and entertaining. It’s called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. The only thing about it is that it’s American, but I didn’t really mind.
I saw this one and it worked as a modern adaptation.
Agree. The 1995 miniseries was the best. The 2nd best for me was the BBC 80’s miniseries.
Colman will be a fantastic Mrs. Bennet (Check out her in “Wonka”).
Lowden is quite good in Slow Horses. He has presence. Not sure if he’d be a good Darcy, but I think he could ace it.
Coleman as Mrs. Bennet is a great choice, but I feel she’ll be campy.
I don’t like Corrin as Lizzie. I generally don’t find Emma interesting in anything, I was relieved when The Crown updated Diana to Elisabeth Debicki.
I suppose Emma is too old to play Georgiana? She could play that vulnerability…not for Lizzie though.
Oooohhhh — THAT’s who Lowden is. The guy from Slow Horses. Okay. He could be good.
Almost everyone plays Mrs. Bennet as high camp. Hard not to, given the character. The 2005 film had the best Mrs. Bennet, I think.
NannytotheRescue, I couldn’t agree more. I am here for Lowden as Darcy after watching him for years on Slow Horses. He can slow burn with the best of them (cough, Colin firth, cough). But Emma Cornin’s casting has left me almost as concerned as Dakota Johnson as Anne Elliot’s casting, and i was right to be concerned about that one. I haven’t see Lady Chatterley yet as suggested, so here’s to hoping she can prove me wrong. Signed, an obsessed Austenite since 1986 when I first picked up Pride and Prejudice.
I don’t like the casting of Emma Corrin either. I didn’t like them as Princess Diana and I almost feel that they have a too modern look? IDK, their features are just too modern. Plus, Lizzy is effervescent, witty, but with a core of strength and a magnetic personality – after all, she attracted more men in a course of a year than any other character in the book – or any Austen book – Darcy, Wickham, Mr. Collins, Col. Fitzwilliam. I just can’t see Emma Corrin being able to personify Lizzy Bennet at all.
I’m not thrilled about Jack Lowden either. I don’t think he is tall enough, for one thing – but I can’t see him projecting that languid aristocratic hauteur that Darcy does so well.
Olivia Colman will be fantastic as always.
I’ve only seen him in Slow Horses and he was…fine. Didn’t put the world on fire but maybe he just needs the right role and maybe this is it?
For me he’s too short and burly to be a good old-school aristo Darcy like Firth and Macfayden who both had a bit of elegance and languor about them, like bored well-bred cats. Not height shaming but it matters in our nineteenth century romantic heroes! /s
And Olivia was terribly miscast as QEII in The Crown imo but she can certainly play daft and funny, so I’m sure she’ll be….fine?
The question is if the remake will actually bring anything new, but I’m an old whose last Spiderman was Toby Maguire, so what do I know?
Oh dear. He might turn out to be a dud like that Darcy in P&P meet the zombies or some such. So uninspiring as the lead gentleman.
The Lost in Austen Darcy was very fine indeed… 😋
Blogger, Lost In Austen’s Darcy was incredible. Such a wonderful show and Darcy.
Laurence Olivier was a pretty good Mr. Darcy back in a 1940s movie. That whole entire film is AWFUL — costuming completely wrong, bad acting, etc. — but he is always good. He plays Darcy as less … mean than every other actor does, and it’s interesting.
Why do they continually make the same adaptations over and over again?
I reckon it’s the same reason we will always see adaptation after adaption of Shakespeare’s plays. They are stories and characters that have fascinated people for centuries.
Not sure if I like any of the cast. Bowden looks more suited to play the Colonel or even Wickham, and Jane for Emma Corrin.
Going to take me some convincing that these two would surpass Firth and Ehle. Then again, I’ll give this a miss.
I don’t love Olivia Colman as Mrs Bennett but I’m willing to be surprised. It just makes me think they’re trying to make the character into something more serious without the lighter nuance. Mrs Bennett’s character is humorous and provides comic relief while also showing the very real worries that a mother in her position would have. She’s ridiculous but not necessarily wrong in many ways and I think that can be a fine line to walk. I think Olivia colman is an excellent actress so I am hoping she can pull it off but I think of her as more of a dramatic actress. But we’ll see.
I have no idea who that actor is so I’m open minded there. I think Emma corrin can do a decent job of Lizzie.
I just hope this isn’t like the monstrosity that was Persuasion although Mia McKenna Bruce was a bright spot in that one. So someone there knows what they’re doing with Austen to a certain extent.
That recent persuasion show was awful. Dakota Johnson didn’t grasp Anne Elliot at all. And Cosmo Jarvis wasn’t that great as Wentworth either. He redeemed himself in Shogun though.
I only liked him as Wentworth because he was a better Wentworth than Dakota was as Anne elliot, but that is a very low bar, haha.
I straight-out LOVED Cosmo Jarvis in Shogun. A reviewer said “he sounds like a posho hanging out at the Old Globe Theater and smoking a pack a day” and I can’t unhear it, it’s so true.
Come to think of it, I think he would make a better Darcy than Mr Saoirse!
Olivia Coleman is hilarious and insanely talented at comedy. She’ll be perfect.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in anything comedic! that is reassuring to hear though.
Olivia Colman started out in comedy (Peep Show) until her agent was like, girl, you gotta go do some serious stuff or you’re going to be stuck in the comedy ghetto for the rest of your career. I think she’ll be great as Mrs. B. I bet her agent would love it that you think of her as a dramatic actress though.
Peep Show is not to everyone’s taste, but you might give it a try. I really love it.
Totally 💯 agree OC as Lady Catherine!! She would chew the scenery. But she could also do that as Mrs. Bennett. LOVE her.
JL better as Wickham, I think, although I’d prefer Leo Woodall. I’d love to see Andrew Garfield as Mr. Darcy, Hugh Laurie as Mr. Bennett, Timothy Chalamet as Mr. Bingley, Florence Pugh as Jane, Anya Taylor Joy as Caroline Bingley…
And that’s all I’ve got right now. Probably be back for more later.
What a fun exercise!!
He’s probably too old now, but I’ve always thought that Aiden Turner (Poldark) would make an excellent Darcy. He can smolder with the best of them.
@PW another for Hugh Laurie as Mr B!
I’m always down for a new attempt at a faithful book adaptation for any Jane Austen novel, and it’s nice that it looks like Netflix learned their lesson after that Dakota Johnson Persuasion trainwreck to not experiment with Jane Austen because that’s not what literally anyone is here for when it comes to adapting those novels- that said, I know it’s not in the cards after said trainwreck, because it’s too soon or whatever, but I really wish we’d get a new, faithful adaptation of Persuasion before they revisited P&P again. I’m still so bitter the faithful Sarah Snook version was canceled because of the flaming garbage it turned out Netflix was producing at the same time.
The best Persuasion was the BBC one with Ciarán Hinds. :: chef’s kiss ::
There have been highly successful and beloved experiments with Austen—Clueless is still one of the best Jane Austen movies ever made. The problem with Netflix’s Persuasion wasn’t that they tried to do something different. It’s that every single part of what they tried to do was awful.
After I watched the Netflix one I immediately had to watch the Ciaran hinds one again, lol, as a palate cleanser.
I think without Dakota Johnson and without the whole talking to the camera element Persuasion could have been a lot better. a lot of the supporting cast was decent. But it ended for me when she said “now we’re something worse than exes. We’re friends.”
Dont do Austen dirty like that.
Omg Sarah Snook would have been a great Anne Elliot.
The problem with the Netflix version is that they tried to make it modern but kept the costumes. It just doesn’t work. Austen novels rely of the strict mores of the time which is why her heroines are placed in these circumstances in the first place.
They should have done a total modern version like Clueless if they wanted to change up Anne Elliot that much.
Modern adaptations are fine, but it’s pointless if you’re not bothering to translate the characters and plot faithfully into a modern context. Like, Clueless is the perfect example. Cher Horowitz *is* Emma if Emma were a 1990s Beverly Hills high school girl. Idk wtf Dakota Johnson was supposed to be in that movie, but it wasn’t Anne Elliot.
My favourite adaptation of Pride & Prejudice is still going to be the Joe Wright version BUT I love Dolly Alderton and her book and TV series “Everything I Know About Love.” And the fact that she created the TV series gives me confidence that this version of P&P would do very well. I didn’t like at all Netflix’s take of Jane Austen’s Persuasion so hopefully they’ll do a better job with P&P.
The 1995 version of Persuasion with Amada Root and Ciaran Hinds is my favourite. It’s so much like Austen’s novel and the entire cast was perfect.
Sophie Thompson is so, so, SO good in it! Her comedy is perfect. Corin Redgrave is also excellent as Sir Walter Eliot. He hits just the right note of ridiculous.
I’ll never forgive netflix for what they did to Persuasion, they shouldn’t be allowed to touch any other piece of Jane Austen’s work.
Nothing will beat the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle version for me. It is almost word-for-word with Austen’s novel and the casting was amazing. Julia Sawalha played Lydia to perfection, David Bamber as the odious Mr. Collins was hilarious, Alison Steadman as Mrs. Bennet, Barbara Leigh-Hunt as Lady Catherine de Bourgh, all nailed the personalities of the characters perfectly. Any other versions I’ve seen paled in comparison and I probably won’t see this latest version.
I LOVE Julia Sawalha in EVERYTHING she does, Jaded. She was WONDERFUL as Lydia and as Dorcas in Lark Rise to Candlewood, not to mention as Saffy in AbFab.
Totally agree, Jaded.
It was sublime.
And Austen fans who want a completely fun version should try “Bride and Prejudice,” a Bollywood version.
Everyone talks about the 1995 TV miniseries which was wonderful, yet nobody mentions the previous miniseries from 1980 starring David Rintoul and Elizabeth Garvie. Rintoul was excellent as the slightly mean sneering Darcy and Lizzie had just the right amount of impudence. IMHO the series holds up well. Mr. Collins was very well cast as well.
Good Lord! That’s almost 50 years ago!
I just got that on DVD – can’t wait to watch it!
I’m sure you’ll enjoy it @jaded, It’s excellent despite the fact that Mr. Darcy does not go for a swim in his own pond in this adaptation. Phew, I’ve got hot just thinking about that swim!
It was controversial for Andrew Davies to add that back in 1995 because it wasn’t in the text. That said it worked and added to the awkwardness of the Darcy and lozzie encounter at pemberley.
@Nic it goes back to what you said above, about how much Darcy abides by the social decorum of the time. The 2005 version tried to recreate this scene with the wandering among the moors in a white shirt scene, but it doesnt work FOR AUSTEN because that was intentional on Darcy’s part. The pond scene is great because it sort of knocks Darcy’s pride down a peg or two and creates an awkward encounter because a gentleman would NEVER be caught in such a situation by an unmarried woman not in his family.
So there’s a big difference between Darcy emerging from the pond in his wet shirt and Darcy wandering the misty moors at dawn looking for Lizzy.
Personally, I consider the BBC mini-series with Colin firth and Jennifer Ehle as the definitive film version of Austen’s novel.
Holy Pride and Prejudice fatigue, Batman!!
I LOVE Jack in Slow Horses (my current favorite show by miles) and his River Cartwright has broody tendencies. However I don’t know if he’s suited to Mr. Darcy.
But we do NOT need yet another adaptation of P&P. Colin Firth & Matthew Macfadyen owned that role equally. Both of those adaptions are the gold standard of P&P and I don’t see Netflix coming anywhere near them. The scene in the field when MMcF & Keira Knightley finally come together with the rising sun behind them is breathtaking & beyond romantic. It’ll never be topped.
I’m always willing to give a new Austen adaptation a try. It’s always amusing to see the arguments that spring up on online forums about each version’s “authenticity” and who the real Darcy is, when I suspect Jane Austen would hate them all.
Still, I treat these shows like comfort food. A rainy weekend afternoon, a hot cup of Earl Grey and an Austen adaptation on my TV are a pleasant combination.
Oliver Jackson -Cohen was great in the regency era Mr Malcolm’s List. He’d make a fine Darcy. I saw the 1980 BBC version scripted by the wonderful Fay Weldon. That proposal scene!! Darcy should have edited it down to, “you must allow me to tell you that I ardently admire and love you!” The William type snobbish crap about the degradation of allying himself to her common family should have been omitted. Although I suspect the charmless Will merely grunted, okay when she pestered him about setting the date after he’d definitely promised her dad that he’d marry her eventually!!
Jack Lowden is great in Slow Horses, so I’d check this out, but I’m and Ehle/Firth P&P girl all the way. Like, we own the DVD set of it, that’s how much we love it.
Same gurl same. Sits on my shelf to this day
Interesting casting. I did not like Alderton’s book at all at all. I do not have high hopes for the writing.
Oh dear, I think I might be alone in my distaste for the Knightley/McFadyen P&P. I thought KK did a great job. But McFadyen lost me when he was interviewed about the role and said he felt Darcy was just shy and uncomfortable and that’s how he played him. Um, NO. Darcy was proud and kind of a d*ck. Also, in the book it’s very clear Mr. Bennett has absolutely zero respect for his wife, and that she’s rude and gauche; but in the film, Sutherland and Blethyn were like two young teens in love, she was just so dang cute and irresistible. Great acting, but completely untrue to the book.
Still. I’m up for another version. Why not? I love the book and it sounds like a good binge watch.
Donald Sutherland totally phoned it in. Blech.
Awww dangnabit. Don’t want another adaptation, Colin Firth was perfect….but I’ll watch this. I love Coleman and will watch anything that she’s in…
The vote among the women in my family – grandmother, grand aunt, mother, aunt, daughter and niece – all for Colin Firth as the superior Mr. Darcy.
I actually liked parts of Netflix’s Persuasion, the actress who played Mary was spot on and Henry Golding as Mr Elliott had far more chemistry with Dakota than Cosmo Jarvis.
The 1995 version with Ehle and Firth came out on PBS shortly after I read the book. It’s held my heart ever since. I liked elements of the movie (older clothing style to reflect when Austen first started writing, touching hands, the not-kiss) but I found other parts lacked depth and sometimes it became silly (Lady Catherine, I believe, arriving in the dark).
Just looking at the faces, none of these actors scream Darcy (tall, dark, handsome, rich) and Elizabeth (fine dark eyes, fascinating, guy magnet, witty) to me. On the fence about OC.
I really like Jack Lowden in “Slow Horses.” He’s a good actor, very attractive, and IMO can probably brood quite nicely. It reassures me that I have seen him build and portray a character over the course of a few seasons and do so with consistency and subtle development. So I like him for Darcy. He’s not as tall as Firth or McFadyen but eh, that’s not essential. He’s strapping enough.
I’m not sure about Emma. She was pretty good in “Chatterley” and that is a period piece, so I do think she can handle the time and setting. I think they can get her to look the part, with the right styling. I’m just not convinced she’ll be able to capture Lizzie’s spark and magic combination of “archness and sweetness.” Hopefully she’ll surprise me.
I’m also up for another adaptation of the novel. My preference is for the 2005 film version, especially the production choices, music, and overall feel of the movie. But it’s fun to see another iteration, so long as it doesn’t thumb it’s nose at the source material too much. If I want to get mad about a new adaptation of a 19th century classic novel written by a woman author, there’s always Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” to piss me off endlessly.
I like the sound of Olivia Coleman as Mrs. Bennett. That’s kind of dream casting actually.