Berries and bonnets abound in first photos from new adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma
As Jane Austen wrote in her beloved 1815 novel Emma: “One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other.” But, judging by the first-look photos from longtime music video director Autumn de Wilde’s adaptation of the classic comedy, the upcoming film looks delectable enough for all to enjoy.
Focus Features unveiled Wednesday a pair of images from the upcoming movie, which stars The Witch actress Anya Taylor-Joy in the titular role, described in the official synopsis as a “handsome, clever, and rich” woman who functions as a “restless queen bee without rivals in her sleepy little town.”
Billed as a “glittering satire of social class and the pain of growing up,” the film will follow Emma as she navigates misguided relationships and romantic missteps as she searches for love that has been right in front of her all along.
Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Mia Goth, and Callum Turner also have supporting roles in de Wilde’s feature directorial debut, which was written by debut screenwriter Eleanor Catton and produced by a team of Oscar-verified producers, including multi-nominees Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner (Les Misérables) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri collaborators Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin.
The film marks the third feature-length take on Austen’s novel. Judy Campbell played the lead role in a 1948 adaptation, while Gwyneth Paltrow took on the part in Douglas McGrath’s 1996 version, which ultimately won the Oscar for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score back when the category was divided by genre. Though not a straightforward adaptation of the novel, the plot of Amy Heckerling’s 1995 contemporary comedy Clueless starring Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd draws loose inspiration from the book as well.
Emma releases Feb. 21 in a limited number of theaters. See the new photos above.
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