“The magic of Jane Austen is that her stories feel fresh and timeless” Daisy Edgar-Jones, star of Sense and Sensibility, in cinemas from October 22

Jane Austen is back, and she will be keeping us company until the end of 2026. The series The Other Bennet Sister has arrived on Sky, while the year will draw to a close with a new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, starring Emma Corrin in an original Netflix miniseries. In the meantime, Sense and Sensibility arrives in cinemas on October 22. The film is based on Jane Austen’s celebrated novel, whose best-known screen adaptation dates back to 1995: written by and starring Emma Thompson, it was directed by Ang Lee. Taking up the mantle this time is director Georgia Oakley, working from a screenplay by Diana Reid. The result is a faithful yet spirited reinterpretation of the story of the Dashwood sisters, preserving the author’s clear-eyed perspective while infusing it with the enterprising, contemporary spirit of the British filmmaker.

Why Jane Austen is still relevant today

“Jane Austen wrote about themes that are, and always will be, contemporary,” explains Georgia Oakley. “She wrote about women who cannot be independent and who have to submit to an economic system that determines both their future and how they are perceived by the outside world. These are issues that still resonate with us today, and there is no need to make them more modern because they already were modern when her novels were written.” Shot on 35mm film and inspired by a number of paintings in its visual approach, with cinematography by Arnaud Potier, the film did not set out to measure its success by how faithfully it followed the book. While retaining many elements of the original text, it is primarily concerned with recreating an atmosphere that immerses viewers in the rural English world of the early nineteenth century. Nor did the filmmakers allow themselves to become overly preoccupied with comparisons to a classic such as Ang Lee’s adaptation. “It’s wonderful that a film exists that so many people love. But I wasn’t worried, because everyone responds differently to the various adaptations that can be made,” the director continues. With Reid’s screenplay as its foundation, this new version of Sense and Sensibility focuses above all on the relationship between Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, the two sisters at the heart of the story. “My favourite scene is when they argue with each other. There is a truth there that does not belong exclusively to women of the past, but captures the female experience in every era.”

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles: two sisters, two personalities

The leading roles are played by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles, while the male characters are portrayed by George MacKay, Frank Dillane and Herbert Nordrum. The latter is a particularly intriguing choice for a film so quintessentially English: the Norwegian actor is also known for Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World, alongside Renate Reinsve. “The first time Herbert saw himself dressed as a British gentleman, he was shocked,” Oakley recalls. “When I cast a film, I always look for performers who can be placed in unexpected roles, so that they can bring out an unforeseen dimension. With Daisy, I also wanted her to lean into her British accent, while I had the good fortune of following George’s work for years. Above all, I wanted to capture the contrast between the sisters played by Esmé and Daisy. The first time I saw them together, I realised they could make every scene unpredictable.”

Romance meets social commentary

“The magic of Jane Austen is that her stories feel fresh and timeless,” says Daisy Edgar-Jones. “Her characters experience the same feelings we do today; we navigate the same emotions. These dynamics are expressed by bringing together the romance genre and a portrayal of society.” The story’s wider social landscape gradually narrows its focus to the family at the heart of the narrative: the Dashwood sisters. “They are an almost bohemian family. Their mother wants her daughters to marry for love, but each character approaches those feelings in a different, personal way, creating a beautiful balance between what is said and what remains unspoken, between feeling, concealing and revealing.” It is precisely this tension between individual desire and social expectations that allows Sense and Sensibility to speak to the present. The marriage conventions of the period become a mirror reflecting the pressures that still influence romantic choices and women’s independence today.

The costumes in Sense and Sensibility tell the story of sisterhood

Like her character Marianne, Esmé Creed-Miles is guided and motivated by instinct in her acting work. “It is my working tool. I don’t rely too heavily on preparation, and when you find yourself in productions where you feel safe, you know you can explore the character you are playing freely. In this case, the period costumes we wore were also useful in helping me get into character. I had the best actor-costume designer relationship I have ever experienced with Grace Snell. Her most beautiful insight was that, since Marianne and Elinor are sisters, they would probably borrow each other’s clothes. Daisy and I ended up doing the same thing on set, bringing the garments to life.” Sisterhood lies at the heart of Sense and Sensibility, and even more so in this new film adaptation. As Creed-Miles confirms, “It is a special story because it is not simply a love story between these female protagonists and men, but also a love story between us sisters.”