Why is this 19th-century writer so frequently adapted for the screen? What is her phenomenon?

This autumn, two new adaptations of Jane Austen's novels await us — "Sense and Sensibility" and "Pride and Prejudice". Vogue explored what Jane Austen's phenomenon is and why directors repeatedly turn to novels written over two centuries ago. 

More than 250 years after Jane Austen's birth, the writer's influence on contemporary pop culture not only shows no signs of waning but continues to grow. Earlier this year, the BBC series "The Other Bennet Sister" — not a direct Austen adaptation, but an adaptation of Janice Hadlow's novel inspired by "Pride and Prejudice" — became a real hit thanks to enthusiastic viewer reviews.

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Soon, two more new interpretations of Austen await us: director Georgia Oakley's film "Sense and Sensibility" starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Dolly Alderton's Netflix series "Pride and Prejudice," centered on Elizabeth Bennet played by Emma Corrin.

A natural question arises: why? Why, when cinema could be turning to new stories, do directors repeatedly return to novels written more than two centuries ago?

The answer lies partly within the industry itself. In an era where film and television are increasingly dependent on financial risks, a Jane Austen adaptation remains an almost foolproof investment: it's a well-known literary brand that producers are happy to greenlight.

But why haven't audiences tired of these stories yet? Because they bring genuine pleasure. While classic novels like Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre" or Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights" almost always receive gloomy and dramatic adaptations (perhaps Emerald Fennell's bold version being an exception), Jane Austen's world exists in a uniquely pastoral, almost idyllic reality.

Her heroines don't work as governesses or wander the Yorkshire moors. They live in luxurious estates — or marry their owners, spend evenings in grand drawing-rooms, dance at village balls, and grapple with the main question of their time: whom to love and whom to marry.

While mid-19th-century novels firmly clung to reality with its exhausting daily routines, Austen deliberately created a different world. Light, witty, and ironic, her works masterfully mock the rules of polite society, all while remaining a brilliantly written form of escapism — intellectual, yet never devoid of pleasure.

The best Austen adaptations fully immerse the viewer in this atmosphere of romantic reverie.

Every frame of Joe Wright's "Pride and Prejudice" (2005) starring Keira Knightley feels like a painting. No less charming is the iconic 1995 BBC version, which allowed itself a few pleasant departures from the original source. Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen, of course, never dived into a lake, but the world of cinema only benefited from Colin Firth doing so.

Also belonging to the golden collection are Ang Lee's poetic film "Sense and Sensibility" with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, and the almost flawless "Emma" (1996) with Gwyneth Paltrow. Exquisite historical interiors, luxurious costumes, and impeccable visual aesthetics have made these films classics, although today, a certain excessive mannerism is already felt in the wardrobes of some 1990s adaptations.

In contrast, contemporary readings of Austen demonstrate a completely different approach. Whit Stillman's film "Love & Friendship" (2016), based on the novel "Lady Susan," starring Kate Beckinsale and Chloë Sevigny, combined luxurious costumes with brilliant humor.

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Autumn de Wilde's "Emma" (2020) with Anya Taylor-Joy seems tailor-made for Instagram aesthetics — in delicate ice cream shades and with impeccable frame composition. And Carrie Cracknell's "Persuasion" (2022) allows Dakota Johnson's heroine to address the camera directly with an intonation familiar to fans of the series "Fleabag," while simultaneously showcasing looks inspired by Patti Smith and Debbie Harry.

It is precisely these bold and modern interpretations that prove: Jane Austen adaptations are perfectly capable of changing with the times. Their aesthetic evolves, but the main thing remains constant — stories that are easy to fall in love with.

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The two upcoming premieres, it seems, will occupy an intermediate space between classic and modern adaptations. They are not as meticulously stylized as the films of the last decade, nor do they strive for the academic precision of the 1990s and early 2000s versions.

Instead, they offer a more natural, almost tactile look at Austen's world — with a sense of closeness to nature and everyday life.

In the first teaser for Netflix's "Pride and Prejudice," Elizabeth Bennet, played by Emma Corrin, sits on a rooftop, watching the sun, touching tall grass with her hand, running through puddles, and dancing with Darcy, played by Jack Lowden, repeatedly closing the distance between them.

In the trailer for the series "Sense and Sensibility," Marianne Dashwood, played by Esme Creed-Miles, lies in the middle of a field with disheveled wet hair and a carelessly unbuttoned cotton dress.

These new adaptations align extraordinarily well with contemporary moods. They are intimate, relaxed, and, importantly, in both cases created by women — directors and screenwriters.

But at the same time, they retain everything we love about Jane Austen: the joy of sisterhood, impeccably written romantic stories with the tension of "will they or won't they be together," carefully constructed worlds, and the inevitable feeling of a happy ending. In times of global uncertainty, this is probably one of the most valuable forms of comfort.

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