Dolly Alderton’s Pride and Prejudice: Cast, Production, Quotes, Photos

Jane Austen’s novels have captivated readers for more than two centuries, but Pride and Prejudice endures as the most widely read, remaining ever-relevant and entertaining in the zeitgeist. With its incisive social commentary and indelible love story, it’s not only inspired multiple adaptions, but has defined the romance genre. 

Now, best-selling author Dolly Alderton and director Euros Lyn (Heartstopper) are set to bring Pride and Prejudice to the screen once again, in a brand-new six-part limited series. The adaptation will hew closely to the original text, reuniting existing fans with the timeless novel, while also introducing a new generation to Austen.

“Once in a generation, a group of people get to retell this wonderful story and I feel very lucky that I get to be a part of it,” Alderton, who won the National Book Award for her debut Everything I Know About Love in 2018, told Netflix. “Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is the blueprint for romantic comedy — it has been a joy to delve back into its pages to find both familiar and fresh ways of bringing this beloved book to life. The book is a gift to adapt — packed with drama and depth as well as comedy and charm. In it lies the opportunity to examine the complexities of love, family, friendship and society, while aspiring to Austen’s delightfully observational voice. With Euros Lyn directing our stellar cast, I am so excited to reintroduce these hilarious and complicated characters to those who count Pride and Prejudice as their favorite book, and those who are yet to meet their Lizzie and Mr Darcy.”

The six-episode series is a period-faithful adaptation of the novel and features some of the UK’s most revered actors: Golden Globe winner Emma Corrin (Nosferatu, Black Mirror) and BAFTA winner Jack Lowden (Slow Horses, Benediction) will star as the central couple Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, and Academy Award winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Crown) will play Mrs. Bennet. “Playing Elizabeth Bennet is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Corrin, who starred in a dreamy adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover in 2022. “To be able to bring this iconic character to life, alongside Olivia and Jack, with Dolly’s phenomenal scripts, is truly the greatest honor. I can’t wait for a new generation to fall in love with this story all over again.”

Alderton, Corrin, and Lyn executive produce the series alongside Laura Lankester, Will Johnston, and Louise Mutter for Lookout Point, with Lisa Osborne (Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light) joining as a producer as well. The series will start production in the UK this year. “We are delighted to be sharing this beloved British classic with our global audience. Pride and Prejudice is the ultimate romantic comedy,” said Netflix executive Mona Qureshi. “Dolly’s fierce intelligence and enormous heart, twinned with her genuine love of the Austen novel, means she is able to bring new insights, whilst celebrating all that the generations of fans hold so dear. The caliber of a cast led by Emma, Jack, and Olivia is testament to this precious story being in the best possible hands with Euros Lyn and the team at Lookout Point at the helm.”