Persuasion 2022: Release date, cast and trailer for Netflix Jane Austen adaptation

And now, an adaptation of Austen’s 1817 romance novel Persuasion is coming to Netflix, with direction from Carrie Cracknell.

Persuasion was published posthumously and follows Englishwoman Anne Elliot’s (Dakota Johnson) tug of war with her heart, as she was persuaded to forgo the man she loved – broke naval officer Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis) – at 19 years old by her family.

Eight years later, 27-year-old Anne reconnects with the man she was once persuaded to reject, and is forced to choose between marriage to her snobby distant relative William Elliot (Henry Golding) or following her heart.

The film's official synopsis details that Anne has to "choose between putting the past behind her or listening to her heart when it comes to second chances".

Alongside some first-look images, Netflix previously announced that its adaptation of Persuasion would be a "modern, witty approach" to the beloved story, while "remaining true" to the classic, which was the last Austen completed before she died and published posthumously.

But a trailer for the new Netflix adaptation has landed – and it seems the modern approach isn't going down too well with fans of the author.

While the novel Persuasion is generally regarded amongst Austen’s saddest, the trailer for the new Netflix adaptation is full of cheer, and fans were quick to draw comparisons to Jane Austen’s Emma, the period drama Bridgerton and Enola Holmes starring Millie Bobby Brown.

The modern take on Austen's classic wasn't off-putting for Johnson, who has said it was actually one of the things that drew her to the role.

"I was drawn to the occasionally modernised language and themes, breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience, and the fact that a strong-willed woman remains as much a topic of discussion these days as it was then," she said of playing Anne.

Read on for everything you need to know about Netflix's version of Persuasion.

Persuasion Netflix release date

Netflix’s 2022 adaptation of the film is set to hit the streamer on 15th July 2022. We can't wait!

Persuasion is British theatre director Carrie Cracknell’s debut film, while Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow serve as its screenwriters.

Austen's novel was previously adapted for ITV in 2007, with that version starring Sally Hawkins and Rupert Penry-Jones.

Persuasion cast

Johnson, best known for the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, will play Austen’s quietly intellectual protagonist.

Meanwhile, Cosmo Jarvis (Lady Macbeth, Peaky Blinders) will portray Elliot’s love interest, Captain Frederick Wentworth.

Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) will also feature in the movie as Mr. Elliot, who is desperate to scheme his way into inheriting the Elliot title and property.

In addition, Model and actress Suki Waterhouse (The Divergent Series: Insurgent), Oscar nominee Richard E. Grant (The Iron Lady, Can You Ever Forgive Me?), and Nikki Amuka-Bird (of Zadie Smith's NW) have all joined the Persuasion cast, though their roles have not yet been disclosed and fans will have to wait for more information.

Persuasion trailer

As detailed above, a trailer for Netflix's 2022 version of Persuasion has landed - and some fans were irked by its modern take on the classic.

In Persuasion, Austen writes: “There could have never been two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison, no countenances so beloved. Now they were as strangers; nay, worse than strangers, for they could never become acquainted. It was a perpetual estrangement.”

In the trailer, a version of that line can be heard, though it has been shortened and modernised: “Now, we’re worse than exes. We’re friends.”

Watch below:

Persuasion will be available to stream on Netflix from 15th July 2022. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide.

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