It was the final book that was published while Jane Austen was alive back in 1815, and now over 200 years later, we receive yet another version of “Emma” adapted for the big screen (you may remember the 90s version with a young Gwyneth Paltrow). The film is directed by photographer-turned-filmmaker Autumn de Wilde, in what will be her feature-length directorial debut. She has previously worked on short films, including “The Postman Dreams” for Prada, as well as music videos for artists such as Elliott Smith, Jenny Lewis, Spoon, Florence + The Machine.de Wilde is also known for her indie-rock photography, gracing the pages of SPIN and Rolling Stone often, while helping shape the visual photographic identity of artists like Elliott Smith and Beck among many others.
Wilde seems to be making a bold choice for her first movie, having taken a strong story by one of the most famous authors in history, yet will have to put across the humor that Austen was able to capture. However, this is obviously not the first adaptation of Austen’s “Emma.” In 1996, the aforementioned Paltrow took on the role of the clueless matchmaker, with the film receiving generally positive reviews and awards for actors in it, including Ewan McGregor taking home the British Actor of the Year award from the London Film Critics’ Circle.
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So the pressure might be on for Wilde, and she has chosen Anya Taylor-Joy as her Emma Woodhouse. Taylor-Joy has featured in M. Night Shymalan’s “Glass” and “Split” as Casey Cooke, so going from a sadistic and twisted thriller to playing a hopeless, chaotic matchmaker will really show her range as an actress.
Along with Taylor-Joy comes a host of British talent as it is set in Austen’s fictitious English countryside village, Highbury. The likes of Bill Nighy (“About Time”), who is synonymous with British films, will star as Mr. Woodhouse. British comedian Miranda Hart (BBC’s “Miranda”) will feature as Miss Bates. Josh O’Connor (“Doctor Who”) and Gemma Whelan (“Game Of Thrones”) will also appear in the film.
Here is the official synopsis:
Jane Austen’s beloved comedy about finding your equal and earning your happy ending, is reimagined in this delicious new film adaptation of EMMA. Handsome, clever, and rich, Emma Woodhouse is a restless queen bee without rivals in her sleepy little town. In this glittering satire of social class and the pain of growing up, Emma must adventure through misguided matches and romantic missteps to find the love that has been there all along.
The film is scheduled for release on February 21, 2020. Watch the brand new trailer below.
