Daisy Edgar-Jones teases modern take on upcoming 'Sense and Sensibility' adaptation

Daisy Edgar-Jones has opened up about the modern elements of the upcoming Sense and Sensibility adaptation, saying the new film makes Jane Austen’s more than 200-year-old characters feel as though they could exist in the present day.

Edgar-Jones stars as Elinor Dashwood in director Georgia Oakley and screenwriter Diana Reid’s new adaptation, alongside Esmé Creed-Miles as her younger sister Marianne. Although the film remains set during the Regency period, Edgar-Jones believes the story has been given a contemporary sensibility that will make its characters relatable to modern audiences.

“It really captured Austen’s sensibility,” Edgar-Jones told Entertainment Weekly. “Even though it’s set during that time period, you feel for the girls. They feel like they exist today.” She added that the film feels “both like an escape from today’s world” and “a 2026 version” of the story.

Unlike some previous adaptations, Reid’s screenplay places greater emphasis on the relationship between the Dashwood sisters rather than focusing primarily on their respective romances. Elinor is portrayed as the responsible and reserved elder daughter, while Marianne is more free-spirited and passionate.

Edgar-Jones said she found herself relating to Elinor despite growing up as an only child. She described the character as an elder daughter and people pleaser who feels pressure to behave properly, keep everything together and set an example for others.

The actress also praised Oakley for wanting to preserve the spirit of Austen’s novel while breathing new life into the story. Edgar-Jones said she particularly enjoyed seeing the Dashwood sisters together in their natural surroundings, where they could be more relaxed and less restrained.

The new film also gave Edgar-Jones and Creed-Miles the opportunity to build on a friendship that began years earlier. The pair previously worked together in the 2018 drama Pond Life, which marked Edgar-Jones’ film debut. Edgar-Jones said their shared history helped them establish the close sisterly relationship required for the new film.

The production also paid close attention to the Dashwood family’s financial circumstances through its costumes. Costume designer Grace Snell created Regency-era clothing that reflected the family’s loss of fortune, with some pieces being reused throughout the film. Edgar-Jones noted that the characters would realistically have had to recycle their clothes after losing their wealth.

The film marks Edgar-Jones’ first period drama, although she has already appeared in several adaptations of literary works, including Where the Crawdads Sing, On Swift Horses and Normal People. As a keen reader herself, the actress said adapting a beloved novel comes with additional pressure because audiences already have their own ideas about the characters.

George MacKay also stars as Edward Ferrars, Elinor’s romantic interest. Edgar-Jones described their relationship as a heartbreaking push and pull, with the characters struggling to express their feelings within the social restrictions of the Regency era.

The actress, who describes herself as a romantic, also praised MacKay’s performance and joked that “yearning’s back” in the new adaptation. She said the restrictions of the period create an additional sense of tension between Elinor and Edward, whose feelings for one another are complicated by their awareness of those around them.

Sense and Sensibility is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on October 16, 2026.