The world of Jane Austen is expanding a little further with more “Sense and Sensibility” casting.
The Focus Features and Working Title iteration of the iconic novel will also star George MacKay, “Outlander” actress Caitríona Balfe, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, and Fiona Shaw, as announced Monday.
As previously reported, Daisy Edgar-Jones will lead as Elinor Dashwood, with Esme Creed-Miles playing Marianne Dashwood. “Blue Jean” filmmaker Georgia Oakley will direct from a script by bestselling author Diana Reid. The feature has started filming in the United Kingdom.
Per an earlier announcement, “Originally published anonymously with the byline reading ‘By A Lady,’ Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility’ established her as a literary force and remains a cornerstone of English literature. The timeless exploration of restraint and passion follows sisters Elinor (Edgar-Jones) and Marianne Dashwood, opposites in their emotional approach, as they navigate love, loss, and financial uncertainty amid the societal expectations of 18th-century England. Celebrated for its wit, deep social insights, and enduring cultural relevance, the novel launched the bright career of one of history’s greatest authors.”
Focus and Working Title return to the Austen classics: Both studios collaborated on Wright’s 2005 adaptation of “Pride & Prejudice” and Autumn de Wilde’s 2020 take on “Emma.”
Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title Films will produce “Sense and Sensibility” alongside India Flint of November Pictures and Jo Wallett.
MacKay is believed to be the male lead; he recently led a slew of 2024 indie hits such as “Femme,” “The Beast,” and “The End.” Meanwhile, Edgar-Jones has starred in “Twisters” and “On Swift Horses,” and is set for Chloe Domont’s “A Place in Hell” with Michelle Williams and Andrew Scott.
Edgar-Jones will also shoot Fernando Meirelles’ heist thriller “Here Comes the Flood” for Netflix, with Denzel Washington and Robert Pattinson co-starring. The film is billed as an “unconventional heist movie about a bank guard, a teller, and a master thief in a deadly game of cons and double crosses.” Meirelles directed 2019’s “The Two Popes” also for Netflix, and helmed “The Sympathizer” and “Sugar” for TV. Simon Kinberg (“Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” upcoming “Star Wars” trilogy) wrote the script.