DH Lawrence's oft-adapted novel Lady Chatterley's Lover is coming to select cinemas and Netflix this year.

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The controversial story about an upper class woman who embarks on a torrid affair with her gamekeeper was banned in many countries when it was first published in 1928, including the UK, where the un-sanitised version only became available in the 1960s when the country was going through a 'sexual revolution'.

It has yielded many adaptations for film and TV, including a TV film penned by Jed Mercurio and starring Holliday Grainger and Richard Madden, but this one could well be the best yet - at least judging by the glowing reviews of the film so far.

With a cast led by the brilliant Emma Corrin (The Crown) and This Is England's Jack O'Connell, the reaction is perhaps unsurprising. The first-look images of the pair in the roles of Lady Chatterley and her lover offered further proof that this adaptation will be well worth a watch.

Want to know when you can watch it yourself and what the hype is all about? Read on for all the Lady Chatterley's Lover details we have so far.

Lady Chatterley's Lover release date

Emma Corrin stars in Lady Chatterley's Lover
Emma Corrin as Constance in Lady Chatterley's Lover. Netflix

The film will have a limited theatrical release in November, before it premieres on Netflix on 2nd December 2022.

The film premiered at this year's Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, earning glowing reviews (more on that below).

Lady Chatterley's Lover first reviews and reactions

Lady Chatterley's Lover currently holds an impressive 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, though currently that score is based on eight reviews, while an audience score is pending ahead of the drama's release.

The film has received largely positive reviews from critics who saw it at this year's Telluride Festival. Deadline described Corrin and O'Connell as "exceptionally talented", citing their "sizzling" chemistry and the high-end production as the reason it may be "the best Lady Chatterley yet filmed".

Variety and The Wrap echoed the sentiment, with the former calling the Corrin and O'Donnell's chemistry "off the charts" and the latter praising the film for finding "new tones in an oft-adapted story".

Lady Chatterley's Lover cast

Emma Corrin as Lady Constance, Matthew Duckett as Clifford in Lady Chatterley's Lover
Emma Corrin as Constance and Matthew Duckett as Clifford in Lady Chatterley's Lover. Seamus Ryan/Netflix

Emma Corrin will follow up their award-winning performance as Princess Diana in season 4 of The Crown by taking on the lead role of Lady Chatterley in the film, which is set to be their first major movie role following starring opposite Harry Styles in My Policeman.

They are joined in the cast by acclaimed theatre actor Matthew Duckett, who plays Lady Chatterley's wheelchair-bound husband Clifford, and This Is England, Godless and The North Water star Jack O'Connell as Oliver Mellors, their estate's gamekeeper and Lady Chatterley's titular lover.

Rounding out the cast are The Sandman star Joely Richardson (who played Lady Chatterley in a 1993 TV series) as Clifford's carer Mrs Bolton, and Faye Marsay as Connie's sister Hilda.

Meanwhile, the film is being directed by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, whose previous credits include 2019 film The Mustang and episodes of the TV miniseries Mrs America.

Lady Chatterley's Lover plot

Jack O'Connell as Oliver in Lady Chatterley's Lover
Jack O'Connell as Oliver in Lady Chatterley's Lover. Parisa Taghizadeh/Netflix

The film is being billed by Netflix as a "retelling" of DH Lawrence's classic story, which portrays a married aristocratic woman who begins a controversial affair with the gamekeeper of the estate at which she lives.

The official synopsis provided by the streamer reads: "We follow the life of Lady Chatterley, a woman born to a life of wealth and privilege, who soon finds herself married to a man that she eventually falls out of love with.

"Lady Chatterley engages in a torrid affair with a gamekeeper on their English estate, discovering more desire and intimacy than she thought possible. When she realises that she has fallen heart and soul, she breaks all traditions of the day and seeks happiness with the man she loves."

Is there a Lady Chatterley's Lover trailer?

Not yet, but as soon as one drops, we'll add it to this page.

Lady Chatterley's Lover will be released on Netflix on 2nd December 2022. Sign up for Netflix from £6.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best TV series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix. You can also plan your viewing with our TV Guide.

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