Dakota Johnson Gives Proper Bridgerton Vibes In Netflix’s Persuasion Trailer

Bridgerton's massive success made way for a new wave of period dramas, and the most obvious direction to go was with a new crop of Jane Austen film adaptations. Already, Netflix has announced a new Pride and Prejudice adaptation, The Netherfield Girls, starring Never Have I Ever's Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as a modern-day Lizzie Bennett. Now, Netflix's Persuasion is also on the way, with casting news and hints of when fans might see a trailer and a release date.

Jane Austen wrote six novels in her time (seven if you count the unfinished Sanditon), the most famous of which is the aforementioned Pride and Prejudice. But Persuasion is a cult favorite among the Austen fandom. For one thing, the heroine, Anne Elliot, is much older than the heroines in Austen's other books. Unlike her earlier heroines (Lizzie, the titular Emma, and Sense and Sensibility's Dashwood sisters), Anne Elliot is no longer considered eligible for marriage when the book begins.

The romance between Anne and Captain Wentworth is a second chance at love. Seven years before the novel's events, Anne and Wentworth were in love and engaged to be married. But Wentworth's young age and low status were an issue for the Elliot family, and Anne was persuaded to end it. Now, they've met again, and the sparks are flying, but the hearts are wary.

Here’s what else to know about Netflix’s adaptation of the tale:

Persuasion Trailer

The first trailer for Persuasion arrived on June 14, 2022. Much like the recent adaptation of Emma starring Anya Taylor-Joy, the trailer indicates that Netflix is leaning heavily into the comedy aspects of Austen’s writing, more than the regret of a life given up by listening to the foolish opinions of others. For those looking for the Bridgerton version of Persuasion, this looks like it will deliver in spades.

Persuasion First Look Photos

Persuasion’s first- set of images arrived in late 2021 and included a pic of actor Cosmo Jarvis as Anne’s old flame, Wentworth.

But Wentworth isn't the only man in Anne's orbit. There's also William Elliot, played by Henry Golding. Mr. Elliot is a distant and wealthy relation which stands to inherit the Elliot fortune since Anne's father, Sir Walter, has had only daughters. (Think Matthew Crawley from Downton Abbey, who wakes up one morning and discovers he's the closest living male relative who is suddenly the heir to the Grantham estate.) Mr. Elliot seems keen on Anne, but are his intentions honorable?

Along with the trailer, Netflix included a few more photos for fans to peruse. Here's the first look at Nikki Amuka-Bird as the kindly Lady Russell.

And here is Richard E. Grant as the family patriarch, Sir Walter Elliot, and Yolanda Kettle as Anne's older sister, Elizabeth Elliot.

And finally, a look at the Musgroves and Mia McKenna-Bruce as Anne's younger sister, Mary Elliot.

Persuasion Cast

Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades) leads the cast of Persuasion as Anne, the middle Elliot sister and the one who finds herself caught between her old flame Wentworth and the new hotness of Mr. Elliot. As noted, Jarvis, who Netflix fans will know from Season 5 of Peaky Blinders, plays the man Anne spurned, while Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) plays the surprise new option.

But they aren't the only names attached to the project. Suki Waterhouse (The White Princess), Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), and Nikki Amuka-Bird (Jupiter Ascending) were also announced cast members in May 2021. Deadline also announced a further round of actors for the movie's cast on June 4, 2021, including Edward Bluemel (A Discovery of Witches), Lydia Rose Bewley (Drunk History), and Yolanda Kettle (Marcella).

Persuasion Plot

It's unclear how close the movie will follow the source material, but here's what we know about the book: The novel's plot begins when the Elliot family falls on financially challenging times. Of the family's three daughters, only the youngest, Mary, got married (to Charles, a suitor Anne rejected years before because she did not love him). Anne's other sister, Elizabeth, is a society beauty and expects to be eventually matched to someone wealthy. (However, the reality is that she's spent the last decade managing the estate in place of her late mother and her extravagant tastes are why the family is struggling.)

To mitigate their money woes, the family moves to Bath and takes on lodgers in their home. Moving about the social circles in Bath, the family runs into Captain Wentworth, Anne's old lover, now a respected Navy veteran and man of far greater importance than the family assumed he would ever be. He is also, conveniently, in search of a wife.

Here's the film's official synopsis:

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 let get 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. Adapted from the Jane Austen novel.

Persuasion Filming News

Production on Persuasion began in May 2021, with fans spotting the cast in costume in and around Bath in the U.K. If the locations look familiar in these photos, that's because Bath is one of the main places Bridgerton films its outdoor on-location scenes. Filming didn't take long, with work completed by the end of the summer.

Persuasion Release Date

Persuasion premieres on Friday, July 15, 2022.