Another Jane Austen classic finds its way back to the screen. Netflix is adapting Persuasion. With the huge success of Bridgerton, it completely makes sense that the streaming service would look to the queen of Regency-era romance for some inspiration. Netflix has also enlisted two of the most well known names in the romance book adaptation world, Dakota Johnson and Henry Golding.
Persuasion may not be as popular as Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility, but that’s what makes this project so exciting. It may introduce casual Jane Austen fans to a whole new story. Let’s explore some of the things that we already know about Netflix’s Persuasion adaptation.
Dakota Johnson Stars In Persuasion
In April 2021, Netflix announced that Dakota Johnson would lead the cast. Johnson plays 27-year-old heroine, Anne Elliot. According to Variety, Anne is an unwed woman living with her wealthy and elitist family, who are having money problems.
Jane Austen’s heroines are often intelligent, witty, and bold. We expect nothing less with Johnson as Anne. Dakota Johnson has created a very impressive resume since her leading role in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy.
She recently appeared in the 2022 Oscar-nominated film, The Lost Daughter. She has appeared in indie favorites Suspiria, The Peanut Butter Falcon, and Cha Cha Real Smooth. Persuasion just adds another intriguing mark to her evolving career.
In a Vogue interview, Johnson shared a bit about working on this Netflix film:
Persuasion was so fun. Doing a Jane Austen film is the dream, and there are only a few of them so I feel incredibly lucky. The cast is amazing and our director, Carrie Cracknell, is fantastic.
It Premieres On July 15, 2022
What’s summer without some romance? Netflix is going way back for this summertime romantic movie. Through their official blog, Tudum, Netflix announced that fans can wear their best attire, gather around the ballroom and watch Persuasion on Netflix on July 15, 2022.
The film is one of Netflix’s most anticipated movies of 2022. It’s one that fans couldn’t wait to see on the 2022 Netflix movie schedule.
The new movie releases for July 2022 are already packed with blockbusters, such as Minions: The Rise of Gru, Bullet Train, and Thor: Love and Thunder, so Netflix has big competition for the attention of the movie-going public, but Austen and Dakota Johnson may just be the duo to make the movie a hit.
Now that you know the Persuasion premiere date, plan accordingly.
Persuasion’s Cast Includes Henry Golding And Richard E. Grant
Similar to Bridgerton, Persuasion cast actors of many different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Henry Golding and Cosmo Jarvis play the male leads.
Jarvis plays Captain Frederick Wentworth, Anne’s main love interest. Golding plays Anne’s cousin, Mr. Eliott. Deadline describes him as a “callous and classic Austen foil.” According to Deadline, playing a villainous character is what attracted Golding to the role.
Golding has been known for playing romantic leads in the last few years. He played the male romantic lead in Crazy Rich Asians, Last Christmas, and A Simple Favor. Because of his past work, many fans may have expected him to play Captain Wentworth. But, this isn’t Golding’s first dubious role, as he played one of the villains in The Gentlemen.
Jarvis is a little lesser-known, but his resume includes projects such as Peaky Blinders, Raised by Wolves, and Lady Macbeth.
2019 Academy Award nominee Richard E. Grant is also amongst the Persuasion cast. The cast also includes Edward Bluemel, Lydia Rose Bewley, Suki Waterhouse, Ben Bailey Smith, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Izuka Hoyle, Yolanda Kettle, and Nia Towle.
Filming Wrapped By December 2021
In Deadline’s May 2021 cast announcement, it was mentioned that rehearsals and costume fittings had begun for a UK shoot. Filming likely began shortly after, because Somerset Live reported in late June 2021 that filming was underway on Persuasion.
According to the website, the movie filmed in Bath from June 22, 2021, to June 25, 2021. They even captured a behind-the-scenes photo of Dakota Johnson filming with who appears to be Nikki Amuka-Bird.
During her Vogue interview in December 2021, Johnson revealed that Persuasion was now in the editing stage of production. This means that filming likely wrapped long before December 2021. According to TribLive, Dakota Johnson began filming Cha Cha Real Smooth in August 2021, so filming on Persuasion likely wrapped by then.
This means the shoot possibly only lasted a few months, which seems to be standard practice for most midsize budget films.
Persuasion Is A Story Of Second Chances
Persuasion was Jane Austen’s final novel. It was published six months after her death. The book follows Anne Elliot as she and her family readjust to a more humble lifestyle.
They rent a room to an admiral and his wife. They just happen to be the relatives of Anne’s once betrothed. She broke off their engagement seven years before the events of the novel, because her family and friends convinced her to end their engagement
Persuasion follows Anne and Captain Frederick Wentworth as they fall in love. According to Tudum, this adaptation won’t stray too far from the source material. It may follow in Little Women’s footsteps with a few updates and changes to make it more relevant to a modern audience, but the core themes and messages should remain.
Captain Wentworth and Anne’s story of second chances should still be a main part of this Persuasion adaptation.
Searchlight Also Had A Persuasion Movie In Development For 2022
In September 2020, Variety announced Sarah Snook was cast as the lead of a Searchlight adaptation of Persuasion, with Mahalia Belo set to direct. In January 2021, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Joel Fry would take on the role of Captain Wentworth.
It wasn’t until April 2021 that Netflix announced Dakota Johnson as Anne Elliot. If you’re thinking, “Yay, two Persuasion projects!” then you may want to sit down. We have bad news.
In an October 2021 interview with Vogue Australia, Sarah Snook clarified the status of the Persuasion film starring herself and Joel Fry:
The short story is that Netflix decided to greenlight their own, so Fox abandoned the one we were doing, which is disappointing, because it was a great script and a director I really wanted to work with.
Disappointing it is, indeed, because I think Fry and Snook were really good casting choices, and I would have loved to see what they did with the characters. I guess now we just have to dream of what could have been and look forward to Dakota Johnson in Netflix’s Persuasion.
There are still a few months before Persuasion streams on Netflix. Fans of Jane Austen’s novel have plenty of time to reread it, or those unaware of it can read it for the first time. It’s definitely one of the 2022 book adaptations that we’re most excited to see.
