Adaptations of Jane Austen’s many novels are a regular thing, with last year’s EMMA standing out as a recent example of how to do them right. They happen so often it’s tough to get excited, but casting Dakota Johnson in Netflix’s new take on Persuasion, which to the best of my knowledge has rarely been made into a feature, is one way to do it.
THR reports Dakota Johnson will star in a modern version on Persuasion, to be directed by Carrie Cracknell in her feature directing debut. Cracknell is a British playwright and stage director who most recently worked with Jake Gyllenhaal on Sea Wall/ A Life.
The novel was published in 1817 and was the last to be fully completed by Austen. Here’s the synopsis for this new film:
Living with her snobby family on the brink of bankruptcy, Anne Elliot is an unconforming woman with modern sensibilities. When Frederick Wentworth—the dashing one she once sent away—crashes back into her life, Anne must choose between putting the past behind her or listening to her heart when it comes to second chances.
Johnson has come a long way from 50 Shades of Grey, with her emphasis on smaller films of late. In the last couple of years she’s starred in The Peanut Butter Falcon, The High Note, and most recently in the dramedy Our Friend.
No word on when Persuasion shoots, but don’t worry, Netflix will make sure we are all very aware when it does.
