Emma, the beloved Jane Austen social satire, gets a new adaptation from photographer Autumn de Wilde.
Jane Austen’s comedy follows the well-intentioned, yet spoiled and headstrong Emma, who enjoys playing matchmaker and sticking her nose in other people’s business. On writing the book, Austen had stated, “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” Throughout the novel, Emma tries to pair up her new friend Harriet, who comes from a lesser social standing, with various eligible bachelors in their small community. Other iconic characters include Emma’s hypochondriac father, the nosy Miss Bates, and Mr. Knightley, Emma’s brother-in-law and the only person who ever calls her out.
Previous adaptations include a 1996 movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow; Clueless, which transplanted the story to 1995 Beverly Hills; various BBC miniseries; and Emma Approved, a web series adaptation from the creators of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
This new version stars Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch) as Emma, with South African musician Johnny Flynn as Mr. Knightley and Bill Nighy (Love Actually) as Emma’s father. In addition to highlighting the sweeping Regency era aesthetic, the trailer has a section of people saying Emma’s name out loud in various degrees of exasperation, which absolutely tracks.
Emma comes out Feb. 21, 2020.
