She has played spies, detectives and two queens of England. Now Olivia Colman is to take the part of Mrs Bennet, the scheming mother of five daughters, in a Netflix adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
The six-part series will also star Emma Corrin as Elizabeth Bennet, and Jack Lowden as Mr Darcy. The adaptation will be written by the author and Sunday Times columnist Dolly Alderton.
Production on the series is scheduled to begin in the UK later this year. It will be directed by Euros Lyn, who also directed David Tennant in Doctor Who, three episodes of Broadchurch starring Colman and Tennant, and Happy Valley.
Mona Qureshi, a Netflix executive, said: “Pride and Prejudice is the ultimate romantic comedy.
“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 calibre of a cast led by Emma, Jack and Olivia is testament to this precious story being in the best possible hands.”
Corrin, who played Diana, Princess of Wales, in the Netflix series The Crown, said: “Playing Elizabeth Bennet is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To be able to bring this iconic character to life, alongside Olivia and Jack, with Dolly’s phenomenal scripts, is truly the greatest honour. I can’t wait for a new generation to fall in love with this story all over again.”
Alderton said: “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.”
Austen’s 1813 novel was the “blueprint for romantic comedy”, she said, adding: “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 favourite book, and those who are yet to meet their Lizzie and Mr Darcy.”
Pride and Prejudice’s themes of love, social conventions, reputation, wealth and class have endured for more than two centuries. The novel, Austen’s second after Sense and Sensibility two years earlier, has been adapted for the big screen at least 17 times and made into television series in English, Italian, Dutch and Spanish.
A 1995 BBC adaptation propelled Colin Firth to stardom after he emerged from a lake with his wet shirt clinging to his torso. He later said the scene “tended to create this image that can restrict what kind of roles you are going to be able to find”.
A 2005 film version starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen is due to be rereleased this year for its 20th anniversary.
