A new Pride and Prejudice adaptation is calling on Longbourn. Dolly Alderton’s six-part series makes its formal debut on Dec. 3. Until then, indulge in a little yearning with the trailer above.
Alderton previously shared 11 photos of the Bennet family and their suitors at the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, England, but this thrilling video sneak peek is the first time we’ve seen the characters in action.
Hear Mrs. Bennet (Olivia Colman) exclaim her signature “Mr. Bennet!” as her husband (Rufus Sewell) tunes out his tittering brood. Let the lively chatter of the Bennet sisters — Lizzie (Emma Corrin), Mary (Hopey Parish), Kitty (Hollie Avery), Lydia (Rhea Norwood), and Jane (Freya Mavor) — wash over you. Feel the tidal wave of will-they-won’t-they yearning between Lizzie and Darcy (Jack Lowden). Immerse yourself in the lush, rolling fields of Hertfordshire, dotted with wildflowers.
Catch glimpses of Jamie Demetriou as Mr. Collins, Daryl McCormack as Mr. Bingley, and Louis Partridge as Mr. Wickham — along with Fiona Shaw as the esteemed Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Adapting one of literature’s most beloved love stories is no small undertaking, something Alderton understood from the moment the opportunity landed in her inbox. “I got an email asking if I’d be interested in adapting Pride and Prejudice and my immediate response was, ‘I absolutely cannot do this. This is everyone’s favorite book. It’s too much responsibility,’” says Alderton. “I thought of all the things that could go wrong, and then I put that all in a box. Since then, I’ve just thought about the honor and the privilege of being entrusted with this story.”
Alderton wrote all six episodes of the series, which Euros Lyn directs. Her adaptation remains faithful to Austen’s original text — and meticulously accurate to the period in which it’s set— while the format allows the screenwriter room to dig deeper into some oft-overlooked plotlines and characters.
“Pride and Prejudice is such a timeless story because of the emotions in the book; they are as pertinent now as they were in 1812,” Alderton adds. “Embarrassment of your family, fear that you’re going to get left behind, fear that the world is not going to be a safe place for your children as it was for you, mortification that you judged someone incorrectly or that you had been misjudged. We go to that book to see our hearts reflected in it.”
As the series’ heroine, Corrin credits Alderton’s script with balancing the novel’s period setting with its modern relevance. “I don’t think we’ve had an adaptation that does the modernity and the authenticity that we love,” says Corrin. “Some of the actual social commentary that comes out is really brilliant.”
Lowden points to the book’s universal themes to explain why the novel has prevailed — but also to make the case for why it’s such a vital story to tell, now more than ever. “It’s so joyous and beautiful and romantic. In a world where that takes a back seat, you need any excuse to get joy and romanticism. This is one of the greatest pieces of that kind of work there’s ever been,” he says.
Corrin agrees, adding, “Love is what the world needs right now. Everyone wants a bit of hope. I want to believe that these things are true.”
Both Alderton and Lyn executive produce alongside Laura Lankester, Will Johnston, and Louise Mutter for Lookout Point, with Corrin earning their first executive producer credit as well.
Fall in love with Pride and Prejudice when the series premieres Dec. 3 on Netflix.
