Netflix Might Find a New Mr. Darcy

Charlotte wishes she could relate: Netflix turned 27 years old this year, and it does have money and prospects. So is the streamer ready to court yet another Jane Austen adaptation? According to Variety, Netflix is developing a new Pride and Prejudice series with scripts written by author Dolly Alderton, who previously adapted her memoir Everything I Know About Love for TV. Alderton’s take on the classic story hasn’t been greenlit yet, so it might not happen. Still, Netflix has tackled an Austen novel before; it released a movie adaptation of Persuasion starring Dakota Johnson in 2022 (although we can’t say that our critic Alison Willmore was too persuaded by it). A new Pride and Prejudice would definitely have some competition; Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s enemies-to-lovers romance has been told on screen many times, including by Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen in 2005 and Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth in 1995. There are currently no cast members attached to Alderton’s version. Basically, it sounds like Mr. Darcy diehards have plenty of time to fancast the role (or to start saving up for future wet-shirt auctions).