‘Sense and Sensibility' remake already dividing fans after new cast additions announced
The film, produced by Focus Features and Working Title, boasts a high-profile ensemble. George MacKay is stepping into the role of Edward Ferrars, Caitríona Balfe is playing Mrs. Dashwood, and Fiona Shaw will portray the chatty London socialite Mrs. Jennings. Frank Dillane, known for more brooding roles, is cast as the infamous John Willoughby, while Herbert Nordrum and Bodhi Rae Breathnach complete the core lineup as Colonel Brandon and Margaret Dashwood, respectively.
Despite the star power, many Austen purists are voicing concern. Critics on social media argue the casting choices feel 'too modern' and claim the production is shaping up to be another overly stylized period drama rather than a faithful adaptation. 'It looks like they're going for edgy instead of elegant,' one Austen fan wrote on X, while others fear the chemistry between the leads might not hold up to the legacy of the beloved 1995 version.
Adding to the skepticism is the creative team. While director Georgia Oakley has earned praise for Blue Jean, and screenwriter Diana Reid is a bestselling author, fans are still wary of how much creative liberty they might take. The internet discourse has been especially unforgiving, with 'Elinor' and 'Willoughby' trending across multiple platforms as fans dissect every casting detail.
The film is only in production, but the court of public opinion is already in session. Whether the final product will win over skeptics or deepen the divide remains to be seen.
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Express Tribune
21-07-2025
- Express Tribune
‘Sense and Sensibility' remake already dividing fans after new cast additions announced
A fresh take on Sense and Sensibility has barely started filming, yet it's already igniting fierce debate among Jane Austen fans. The remake, led by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esme Creed-Miles as Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, has divided audiences after its full cast announcement sparked heated reactions online. The film, produced by Focus Features and Working Title, boasts a high-profile ensemble. George MacKay is stepping into the role of Edward Ferrars, Caitríona Balfe is playing Mrs. Dashwood, and Fiona Shaw will portray the chatty London socialite Mrs. Jennings. Frank Dillane, known for more brooding roles, is cast as the infamous John Willoughby, while Herbert Nordrum and Bodhi Rae Breathnach complete the core lineup as Colonel Brandon and Margaret Dashwood, respectively. Despite the star power, many Austen purists are voicing concern. Critics on social media argue the casting choices feel 'too modern' and claim the production is shaping up to be another overly stylized period drama rather than a faithful adaptation. 'It looks like they're going for edgy instead of elegant,' one Austen fan wrote on X, while others fear the chemistry between the leads might not hold up to the legacy of the beloved 1995 version. Adding to the skepticism is the creative team. While director Georgia Oakley has earned praise for Blue Jean, and screenwriter Diana Reid is a bestselling author, fans are still wary of how much creative liberty they might take. The internet discourse has been especially unforgiving, with 'Elinor' and 'Willoughby' trending across multiple platforms as fans dissect every casting detail. The film is only in production, but the court of public opinion is already in session. Whether the final product will win over skeptics or deepen the divide remains to be seen.
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Abbasi takes on Austen
Is Jane Austen the gift that keeps on giving? Whatever disgruntled literature students may feel, when you are a filmmaker, there is only one answer to this question, and it is this: yes. And thus, as per Variety, Pakistani director Asim Abbasi – he who brought us Barzakh last year, along with web series Churails (2020), feature film Cake (2018), as well as an episode of Famous Five Season 2 – will be stamping his mark as co-director on a production of BBC and BritBox adaptation of The Other Bennet Sister. Abbasi will work with fellow director Jennifer Sheridan to bring the ten-part series to life, which will be based on Janice Hadlow's novel of the same name. Hadlow's novel, in turn, can be best described as a fan fiction novel paying homage to the plain (and painfully average piano player) Mary Bennet from Austen's Pride and Prejudice. "The series follows Mary as she steps out of her sisters' shadows in search of her own identity and purpose – finding herself in the middle of an epic love story along the way," reads the BBC official synopsis, also shared by Abbasi on Instagram Stories. "Her journey will see her leave her family home in Meryton for the soirees of Regency London and the peaks and vales of the Lake District, all in search of independence, self-love and reinvention." Mary's tale of independence and reinvention looks to premier in 2026, with UK screen heavyweights Ruth Jones, Richard E Grant, Indira Varma, Richard Coyle cast in key roles. Mary, the titular other Bennet sister, will be played by Bridgerton actor Ella Bruccoleri. Readers who stay away from fan fiction but have devoured Pride and Prejudice may (or nay not) be pleased to learn that the rest of the Bennet sisters will also feature in the series, along with their nemesis Caroline Bingley, friend Charlotte Lucas, and even bigger nemesis Mr Collins. Having brought to life Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed's web series Barzakh last year – a show that got banned in Pakistan within weeks of premiering due to its contentious plot and the choices made by its characters – Abbasi is no stranger to experimenting on the screen and taking on unconventional projects. Churails proved to be groundbreaking in its female-centric story; Cake shone a different lens on family drama and was Pakistan's submission for the 2019 Oscars. Last year, taking on an episode of Enid Blyton's Famous Five series proved the different directions Asim is willing to stretch to; having his name attached to what can ultimately be traced back to Pride and Prejudice highlights the filmmaker's versatility. Whilst it is difficult to categorise a period drama as 'bold' purely due to the subject matter, with Austen's catalogue of work still being particularly relevant to a Pakistani audience, it is only fitting that a director of Pakistani origin will bring his expertise to his latest project. 'Sense and Sensibility' soon It is not just Mary Bennet who is being dragged to the forefront; a much more beloved Austen character, Elinor Dashwood, is also due to have her moment in the sun once again after another film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility starring Daisy Edgar Jones (Normal People) was announced last week. As per the Guardian, production on the film begins next month. The film will be helmed by producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, no strangers to Austen, having previously worked together on 2005's Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley and 2020's Emma with Anya Taylor-Joy. The last time Sense and Sensibility was presented to the big screen in 1995, it starred all the names anyone associates with British cinema; Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant and (the late) Alan Rickman. Although the film contained a well-known cast, director Ang Lee famously reduced a young Winslet to tears by informing her that she would "get better". In addition, at the time, fans were left unconvinced with Thompson's pairing with a floppy-haired Grant looking eerily similar to his Four Weddings and Funeral role. With all these glaring flaws in mind, news of this latest version of Sense and Sensibility, at least, has not quite upset fans in the same way as Netflix's Pride and Prejudice announcement from April this year. Austen adaptations abound A swift glance at the outpouring of Austen films or series over the past 30 years shows that this Regency author may have died 250 years ago and written a scant six books before doing so, but she continues to be the gift that keeps on giving – despite what disillusioned literature students may have to say about it. Her classic meet cutes and staidly rom-coms – relatable even two-and-a-half-centuries down the line – prove that Austen is the Marvel equivalent of period dramas. There is always another adaptation waiting in the wings. And if the well is running dry vis a vis adaptations, Penguin can always be counted upon for releasing garish, historically inaccurate BookTok-friendly Austen covers in a bid to lure in modern readers. If you want nothing to do with BookTok covers of classics and are also tired of Austen adaptations filling up streaming platforms, you will have surmised by the above that unfortunately 2025 is not the year for you. Not only can we expect The Other Bennet Sister and Sense and Sensibility in the near future, earlier this in April, Netflix dismayed purist fans by announcing that yet another version of Pride and Prejudice is in the works. Meanwhile, straying only slightly further from Austen's work itself, French film Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (telling the story of a woman who yearns to live in Austen's world) unveiled in May. Lesson learned: Austen is here to stay, and has been for a long, long time.
