Dakota Johnson to Star in a ‘Modern, Witty’ Adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion

Dakota Johnson. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for HFA

Here’s a sign that you’re doing great and the universe has noticed: Not one, but two adaptations of the Jane Austen romance Persuasion are in the works. Dakota Johnson has just signed on to star in Netflix’s updated take on the final Jane Austen novel. Theater director Carrie Cracknell, who staged last year’s Sea Wall/A Life starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge on Broadway, makes her feature film debut with the project. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the film is described as a “modern, witty approach to a beloved story.” “Living with her snobby family on the brink of bankruptcy, Anne Elliot is an unconforming woman with modern sensibilities,” reads the log line. “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.” Alice Victoria Winslow and Ron Bass (Rain Man) wrote the script. Persuasion was Jane Austen’s last completed novel, published in 1817, after her death. There’s also currently a period adaptation in the works, starring Succession’s Sarah Snook and Game of Thrones’ Joel Fry. If Dakota Johnson’s looking for a modern-day romantic hero, we have the perfect former Bridgerton star in mind …