TV shows and movies based on books can stand equal chances of becoming beloved by fans of the source material or rejected by viewers who don't get what they imagined. Jane Austen's novels have been frequently adapted, and Netflix got in the game in 2022 with Persuasion, starring Dakota Johnson. Now, the streamer has begun production on a limited series adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, and – much like Mrs. Bennet when her daughters are vexing her – I'm full of nerves. The cast looks great, but a few years haven't been enough for me to fully get over Persuasion.
Netflix's Pride And Prejudice Cast Bodes Well
As one of many Pride and Prejudice book fans, I've been hopeful about Netflix's six-part limited series ever since the news broke that it's intended to be a faithful adaptation of the novel. I loved Pride & Prejudice (2005) with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen's hand flex as much as anybody despite its changes from the source material, but a faithful adaptation sounds promising.
In fact, the full cast list indicates that the limited series will be the closest to a faithful adaptation since the 1995 BBC miniseries that's so beloved that it got a shout out in Barbie. Emma Corrin was impressive enough in The Crown that she seems like a good fit for Elizabeth Bennet, while Slow Horses' Jack Lowden seems perfectly capable of some classic Mr. Darcy yearning/brooding. Plus, take a look at the list of main Bennets and their extended family:
- Freya Mavor - Jane Bennet
- Hopey Parish - Mary Bennet
- Hollie Avery - Kitty Bennet
- Rhea Norwood - Lydia Bennet
- Olivia Colman - Mrs. Bennet
- Rufus Sewell - Mr. Bennet
- Anjana Vasan - Mrs. Gardiner
- Sebastian Armesto - Mr. Gardiner
While it's certainly not surprising to see the Bennet parents and all four of Elizabeth's sisters cast for the Netflix series, I'm optimistic about getting more of Mrs. and Mr. Gardiner than was possible with the two-hour run time of the 2005 film. Plus, with Anjana Vasan at only 38, she could be the young aunt confidante to Elizabeth and Jane that she was in the book rather than when portrayed as older on screen.
Additionally, there are other cast members to prove that the series is expanding beyond what viewers saw in that particular film:
- Daryl McCormack - Mr. Bingley
- Louis Partridge - Mr. Wickham
- Siena Kelly - Caroline Bingley
- Fiona Shaw - Lady Catherine de Bourgh
- Rosie Cavaliero - Lady Lucas
- Justin Edwards - Sir William Lucas
- Saffron Coomber - Mrs. Hurst
- James Dryden - Mr. Hurst
- James Northcote - Colonel Forster
- Eloise Webb - Harriet Forster
- Isabella Sermon - Georgiana Darcy
Charlotte Lucas, played by Claudie Blakley in the 2005 film and Lucy Scott in the 1995 BBC series, isn't listed but is sure to be included in any faithful adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. The same can surely be said for Mr. Collins, played in 2005 by Tom Hollander and in 1995 by David Bamber. Add somebody to portray Colonel Fitzwilliam, and I'll have nobody left to want!
Do we really need another adaptation of Pride and Prejudice when there have been more than just the 2005 and 1995 versions I've alluded to? Maybe not, but I'm more optimistic than ever after getting a look at the Netflix cast, and I might be downright excited... if the past few years had been enough for me to really 100% get over Persuasion (2022).
Why I Regret Watching Netflix's Persuasion (Twice)
Be warned – you're about to read a take on Netflix's Persuasion from somebody who loved the book!
While I'm happy to embrace adaptations that take liberties with source material as long as they're done well, I have a limit, and that limit is apparently Netflix's 2022 take on Jane Austen's Persuasion. I regret to say that I watched the movie not once but twice, the second time for the sake of compiling a list of big differences between the novel and the movie.
I will be the first to admit that Persuasion is a hard book to adapt. So much of the narrative comes via an introspective heroine who hides her own feelings, with a hero who can be petty and – in his own words – "resentful" for a decent chunk of the book. Plus, the inciting event of the story takes place the better part of a decade before the novel's first chapter. It's not a book that's easily adaptable for the screen.
But Netflix's version plays out like somebody wanted to make another Pride and Prejudice, but instead settled for Persuasion and tried to substitute Lizzie Bennet in for Anne Elliot. My issue wasn't with the modern tweaks to the dialogue or casting, but just with how the leading lady was presented. My last hope for it by the end was that it would deliver a solid adaptation of The Greatest Love Letter Ever Written (a.k.a. Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne), but I was out of luck.
I've heard from viewers who never read the source material that Persuasion (2022) is a fun watch, and I can believe that I would have enjoyed it if I hadn't gone in with a favorite book in my mind. No judgment to people who did enjoy it for what it was!
The problem for me is just that while I can love retellings of Jane Austen books that modernize the stories as long as the characters are generally true (like Clueless as an adaptation of Emma) to the source material, Persuasion (2022) just didn't feel like the story of Jane Austen's Anne Elliot. Justified or not, my fear for Netflix's Pride and Prejudice is that I'll come away with the same feeling about its take on Elizabeth Bennet.
Where To Find Jane Austen Adaptations While Waiting For Netflix's Pride And Prejudice
At the time of writing, Pride and Prejudice has started production, but there's no word of when exactly the six-part limited series will become available for anybody with a Netflix subscription. If you want a fix of Jane Austen on screen sooner rather than later, you can find the 1995 BBC production of Pride and Prejudice streaming with a Hulu subscription, as well as the 2008 limited series version of Sense and Sensibility. 2005's Pride and Prejudice is available on Prime Video and HBO Max as well.
If that's not enough, there are offerings outside of Pride and Prejudice as well! Both the 2020 movie adaptation of Emma (starring Anya Taylor-Joy) and the excellent limited series (starring Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller) can be found with a Peacock subscription, with a Paramount+ subscription offering Clueless as another take on Emma. If you really want to branch out, you can find the Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Emma Approved web series on YouTube.
As for Persuasion, the 2008 miniseries is available with a Prime Video subscription. While I personally prefer the 1995 adaptation with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds... well, the 2008 version beats the 2022 version on Netflix, as far as I'm concerned.
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