’50 Shades’ star will lead Netflix adaptation of Jane Austen’s ‘Persuasion’

Dakota Johnson has been cast in Netflix’s upcoming Persuasion movie.

The film will be based on Jane Austen’s final completed novel, which was published six months after Austen’s death in 1817.

Persuasion was most recently adapted in 2007 by ITV, featuring Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) and Rupert Penry-Jones (Whitechapel).

Netflix’s new adaptation is described as “a modern, witty approach to a beloved story while still remaining true to Jane Austen’s classic novel.”

It’s believed to be set in America and in contemporary times.

Acclaimed theatre director Carrie Cracknell, who directed Jake Gyllenhall last year in the Tony-nominated Sea Wall/A Life on Broadway, will make her feature directing debut with Persuasion.

The official synopsis reads: “Living with her snobby family on the brink of bankruptcy, Anne Elliot is an unconforming woman with modern sensibilities.

“When Frederick Wentworth—the dashing one she once sent away—crashes back into her life, Anne must choose between putting the past behind her or listening to her heart when it comes to second chances.”

Dakota Johnson will lead the cast as Anne Elliot.

The 31-year-old American actress is best known for her role as Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades movies, for which she nominated for a BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2016.

Irish period drama Death and Nightingales, starring Johnson’s 50 Shades of Grey co-star Jamie Dornan, begins airing in the US next month.

Another version of Persuasion is also currently in development, with Mahalia Belo (The Long Song) directing and Succession actress Sarah playing Anne Elliot.

Belo’s movie is expected to be set in the novel’s original time period.

Netflix’s Persuasion will premiere exclusively on the streaming service in 2022.

Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion is available on Amazon.