adaptation

FORMER Corrie actress Michelle Keegan is being courted for her first Hollywood film role.

US screen star Reese Witherspoon is keen for the 38-year-old to play the lead in a big-budget movie adaptation of her new novel.

Oscar-winner Reese, 49, wrote crime thriller Gone Before Goodbye with American author Harlan Coben, who was behind Michelle’s Netflix hit show Fool Me Once.

Harlan introduced the women to each other at the launch of the book at the ­London Literature Festival, held at the capital’s Festival Hall last weekend.

A source said: “Harlan has been singing Michelle’s praises to Reese and she was keen to meet her. They got on really well and it was clear Reese was really taken with Michelle.

“The plan is to turn the book into a film and Michelle is their first choice to take on the role of the lead character, Maggie McCabe.

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Michelle Keegan looks incredible posing with Hollywood star Reese Witherspoon

“She is a combat surgeon and Michelle previously played an Army medic in Our Girl on the BBC, so it’s a role they know she could take on with style.

“It’s early days but Harlan and Reese think Michelle is tailor-made for this role and would love her to come on board when the time is right.”

Ex-soap star Michelle became a global success after the mystery drama Fool Me Once was released last year.

The series became one of Netflix’s most watched TV shows of 2024 — with more than 107 million people streaming it worldwide in the first 90 days.

Best-selling author Harlan said of his leading lady: “I think what Michelle has, besides tremendous talent and all the other stuff, is a genuine authenticity.

“I think the audience, loves her, people want to follow her life, because they sense that there’s a kindness and a gentleness.

“And that’s really her, she’s truly authentic.”

Speaking last year, 63-year-old Harlan insisted he would be keen to work with her again and reckoned: “If we could get Michelle, we’d love to get Michelle.”

Fans of Michelle, from Stockport — who has a daughter with Heart FM DJ husband Mark Wright — will next see her on screen in ITV crime drama The Blame.

She plays Detective Inspector Emma Crane in the six-parter, which is an adaptation of ­Charlotte Langley’s 2023 debut novel of the same name.

Michelle is also known for her roles in the Sky One comedy drama Brassic and BBC drama Ten Pound Poms, about Brits who migrated to Australia in the 1950s.

The writer of the Witcher books answered fan questions on the hit adaptations

The author behind the books which are the basis of Netflix series The Witcher has shared what he really thinks of the adaptation.

The fourth season is set to be released on the streaming platform, with eight new episodes available to binge from October 30. According to the synopsis, after the Continent-altering events of season three, Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri find themselves separated by a raging war and countless enemies.

As their paths diverge, and their goals sharpen, they stumble on unexpected allies eager to join their journeys. And if they can accept these found families, they just might have a chance at reuniting for good. The series is based on the works of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.

Sapkowski’s Witcher books include two collections of short stories, five novels making up the main Witcher saga and two standalone novels. Season four is believed to be largely based on the publications Baptism of Fire and The Tower of Swallows.

The writer took part in a special AMA session on Reddit where fans were invited to ask him any question they liked. It took place in celebration of the latest English translation release of Crossroads of Ravens. The new book is a standalone novel that serves as a prequel for Geralt’s story.

Many fans have been welcomed to the world of the Witcher thanks to its adaptations. These include the live-action series on Netflix as well as the video game series developed by CD Projekt Red.

The third game, subtitled Wild Hunt, in particular was a runaway critical and commercial success. Its story served as a follow-up to the saga told in the original books.

It wasn’t long before one fan asked about Sapkowski’s current views on the adaptations. The writer previously admitted he allowed his work to be translated into a game because of the money offered to him.

Netflix have also released an original prequel series as well as an animated feature film Sirens of the Deep, which was based on one of Sapkowski’s short stories.

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Now, he has expressed his blunt view on all these adaptations. He explained: “I’ll put it this way: there’s the original and then there are adaptations. Regardless of the quality of these adaptations, there are no dependencies or points of convergence between the literary original and its adaptation.

“The original stands alone, and every adaptation stands alone; you can’t translate words into images without losing something, and there can’t be any connections here.”

He continued: “Moreover, adaptations are mostly visualisations, which means transforming written words into images, and there is no need to prove the superiority of the written word over images, it is obvious. The written word always and decidedly triumphs over images, and no picture – animated or otherwise – can match the power of the written word.”

The Witcher is streaming on Netflix.

The Thursday Murder Club author Richard Osman has addressed the backlash the Netflix film adaptation has received.

Last month, the eagerly awaited film version of The Thursday Murder Club dropped on Netflix.

Drawing from the debut novel in Richard Osman’s bestselling series, the movie showcased a stellar ensemble including Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie and Helen Mirren, under Chris Columbus’s direction.

The plot centres on four pensioners residing at Coopers Chase retirement community nestled in picturesque English countryside. Weekly, they convene to examine cold cases and unsolved crimes.

Yet chaos ensues when these amateur sleuths become entangled in an actual investigation following a genuine killing.

While book enthusiasts were thrilled to witness the tale brought to the screen, numerous viewers felt let down by the adaptation, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Speaking about the criticism during a This Morning appearance, writer Richard Osman confessed he harboured doubts about certain film elements that strayed from his original work.

The 54-year-old even raised these concerns with Steven Spielberg, who served as producer via his Amblin Entertainment company.

When Ben enquired whether he now visualises his characters as the film’s cast members, Cat pointed out how differently Ron appears in the book versus Pierce Brosnan’s portrayal.

Richard responded: “He is very different! I wasn’t involved in the film, really, so I claim no credit for it.”

Ben asked Richard about his thoughts on the film adaptation of his book, which had sparked some controversy among fans.

He asked: “It’s not quite the same, significantly different parts from the book. How have you responded to that? How do you feel about that?”

Richard responded: “I’ve written my version of the book and that’s the Thursday Murder Club and it’s available in all good book shops and it’ll be there forever, that’s my version.

“That’s the version that’s come from my heart. I’m not going to be the person to sit down and do an adaptation for a film because I’ve done it already, so you have to give it to brilliant people.”

The author emphasised that the book had to be condensed into a two-hour film, which would’ve been considerably longer if everything he’d written was included.

He added: “They have to make choices that you wouldn’t necessarily make yourself. But that’s the fun of the thing.”

Ben then questioned whether Richard had the opportunity to voice any concerns to the production crew. Richard admitted: “I can reveal, I did say that a couple of times.”

When Cat asked if he had spoken to Stephen Spielberg, Richard confirmed he had, jokingly adding: “Ask me if he listened. But they know what they’re doing!”

This Morning continues weekdays on ITV from 10. The Thursday Murder Club is available to stream on Netflix.

Since it first premiered in 1926, F.W. Murnau’s “Faust” has been lauded as one of the greatest silent films ever made. And in the century that’s followed, striking a deal with the devil has been one of cinema’s most enduring tropes.

“Him,” the Jordan Peele-produced horror film reaching theaters Friday, is the latest testament to the fact that, in Hollywood at least, the devil’s offer never goes out of style.

It tells the story of an aspiring professional football player, Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers), who gets invited to train at a secluded compound under famed quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans). But Cade eventually realizes what is meant by the question he keeps getting asked: “What are you willing to sacrifice?”

“People are so fixated with the whole selling your soul to the devil and they really think that it’s a man in a suit who’s like, ‘Sign the dotted line,’” said Julia Fox, who plays White’s wife. “I think that selling your soul to the devil is a metaphor for selling out and doing things that you don’t want to do, compromising your morals and values for a paycheck.”

Like “Him,” Faustian stories in cinema are often billed as horror. Much like the literary and artistic retellings of the German fable, from Marlowe and Goethe to the song “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” film adaptations span place, decade and genre — from the cult Keanu Reeves’ DC Comics adaptation, “Constantine,” to Brendan Fraser’s 2000 rom-com “Bedazzled,” a remake of the 1967 film of the same name that starred Raquel Welch.

The devil can promise money — as in “The Devil and Daniel Webster,” the 1941 post-Great Depression takedown of greed — or fame, a la Jack Black’s 2006 musical comedy, “Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny.”

“It’s pretty much everywhere once you start looking,” said Kirsten Thompson, a professor of film studies at Seattle University. “We all want to have eternal life or youth or power or status. And the various iterations of the myth sometimes emphasize different things.”

“Him” isn’t even the first Faustian film set against the backdrop of sports. “Damn Yankees,” the 1958 adaptation of the Bob Fosse-choreographed Broadway show, tells the story of a diehard baseball fan who makes a devilish pact to help his team.

Murnau’s ‘Faust’ legacy

Although the 1926 “Faust” isn’t the oldest cinematic retelling of the legend — French filmmaker Georges Méliès made a handful of adaptations beginning in the 1890s — Murnau’s movie has the greatest legacy.

“The film has these very striking set pieces that are, visually, enormously iconographic and influential on subsequent silent cinema, including American cinema,” Thompson said.

Speaking with the Associated Press last year to promote his adaptation of “Nosferatu” (the original vampire tale was also made by Murnau, in 1922), Robert Eggers testified to the ways in which “Faust” has influenced him as a director.

“Filmmaking — it didn’t really get better than that,” he said.

Murnau’s “Faust” follows its titular protagonist, a faithful alchemist who despairs over a deadly, seemingly unstoppable plague. He eventually meets the demon Mephisto — legend often refers to him as Mephistopheles — who convinces Faust to do a trial-run pact to renounce God in exchange for the power to help the infirm village.

But Faust’s demonic deal is found out when a crowd realizes he cannot look upon a cross. Despondent, Faust plans to kill himself, but is stopped by Mephisto, who comes back with another offer: The demon will give the elderly alchemist back his youth.

Origins of the devil’s offer

It’s unclear when exactly the idea that humans could strike a deal with the demonic materialized, according to Joseph Laycock, a professor of religion who studies Satanism and demonic belief at Texas State University.

The idea that a powerful supernatural being could grant wishes or help humans exists in pre-Islamic Arabic traditions, but most Western depictions of this kind of myth borrow from Christian theology.

“Humans and demons each have something the other wants. We want this power. We want control over the natural world. The demons have it and we don’t. But the demons want our souls,” Laycock said. “The Faust legend is kind of ready to be told as soon as this Christian demonology emerges.”

One clue into the origins of a Satanic bargain lies within the “Malleus Maleficarum,” often translated as the “Hammer of Witches,” a 15th century German Catholic theological text on demonology.

In it, God has limited Satan’s power, Laycock explained. But, “there’s this loophole. And the loophole is, if a demon makes a pact with a human, the demon gets to do all the stuff it couldn’t normally do.”

This period around the Reformation was a “golden age” for possession, exorcism and witch-hunting in Europe, Laycock said, which sets the stage for the Faust legend to materialize.

In the 1800s, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe adapted the Faust story into a two-part tragic play, converting the German legend into a literary giant that would have tremendous influence on the Western world, Thompson argues.

She compares Goethe’s cinematic influence to works from Shakespeare and stories like “Sherlock Holmes,” which have also been repeatedly retold. “Canonical works of literature in different languages are adapted over and over again,” she said.

Fauria writes for the Associated Press. Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc.

The BBC featured a whole host of stars

Viewers simply cannot miss this spellbinding drama series, boasting Britain’s finest acting talent, including Ben Whishaw, Benedict Cumberbatch and Jeremy Irons, alongside Downton Abbey favourites Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery. The programme follows on from a show hailed as “sublime and wonderful” by fans and another likened to Charles Dickens, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The BBC series initially appeared on television screens in 2012 before making its comeback in 2016 for a second run, drawing inspiration from William Shakespeare’s theatrical works.

One perfect 10/10 review on IMDb bore the headline “Superb production” with the viewer revealing: “When I was at school, Shakespeare was as dry as the pages it was written on.

“To watch it, performed by actors who really know and understand Shakespeare, and can convey that in their work, is to enter a world of majesty, of subtle innuendo, of humour and of total understanding of the work of the Shakespeare who used his gift to allow ‘the common man’ to discuss and understand the goings-on and political machinations of his age.

“There are no ‘spoilers’ when it comes to Shakespeare – the work is out there in a myriad of forms and interpretations, waiting to be read. This production is one of the best available.”

READ MORE: ‘Best period drama’ hailed ‘alternative Austen’ leaves fan vowing to ‘watch series always’READ MORE: ‘Glorious’ period drama adapted from ‘wonderful’ books streaming for free

Another glowing 10/10 review headlined “Shakespeare Taken to Another Level” saw the fan confess they weren’t “expecting this level of pure brilliance” and declared they were “totally immersed” in the programme. Adding: “Somehow this production has defied all the odds and managed to tick all the boxes.

“And can I say, I’m loving the portrayal of the women as strong, intelligent individuals, who, more often than not, appear to be better at scheming and deceiving than any of their male counterparts. I hope some day, all Shakespeare will be made this way.”

A third viewer praised the programme for featuring “the flower of British acting” thanks to its stellar ensemble and remarked: “Arguably one of the very best screen adaptations of Shakespeare ever produced.

“They have pulled off what many have tried and failed to do: make good cinema out of the plays. The necessary realism is there, without detracting in any way from the source material.”

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The Hollow Crown served as a BBC interpretation of Shakespeare’s historical dramas Richard II; Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; Henry V, Henry VI, Part 1; Henry VI, Part 2; and Richard III.

The programme was split into seven episodes across two series, with each chapter focusing on one of the Bard’s works.

The Hollow Crown brought to life the scheming and political battles of numerous medieval monarchs, featuring more backstabbing and manipulation than a Game of Thrones episode.

Additional performers who featured in the production included The Walking Dead’s David Morrisey, Dame Judi Dench, Sophie Okenedo, Julie Walters, Tom Hiddleston, Anton Lesser, John Hurt, Tom Sturridge, Sally Hawkins, Keeley Hawes and Adrian Dunbar, amongst many others.

The Hollow Crown is streaming on Prime Video for a fee

Terence Stamp, the prolific English actor who played General Zod in the “Superman” films and earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the title character in “Billy Budd,” has died. He was 87.

Stamp died of undisclosed causes Sunday morning, his family confirmed to Reuters.

“He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and as a writer that will continue to touch and inspire people for years to come,” the family said in a statement.

Stamp began his acting career onstage in 1960 on London’s West End, but quickly received international attention and critical acclaim with his 1962 portrayal of the title role in Peter Ustinov’s adaptation of Herman Melville’s historical adventure novel, “Billy Budd.”

The humanity Stamp imbued in the tragic, stammering naval vessel crewman established Stamp as a talent to watch — with a Golden Globe Award for best male newcomer to prove it. Still, Stamp didn’t fully break through in Hollywood until 1978 when he embodied the chilling persona of Superman’s arch-nemesis, General Zod, in the first film of what would become a wildly successful franchise. Stamp took on the role again in 1982’s “Superman II.”

Stamp, with his calm demeanor and pale eyes, proved such a successful villain that he feared he was becoming typecast as one. In 1994 he decided to try something radically different when he took on the role of a transgender woman named Bernadette in Stephan Elliott’s now cult-classic film, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert.”

The film marked one of the first times a transgender character was portrayed as a lead in an international film. When the movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May of that year, The Times’ then film critic, Kenneth Turan, interviewed Stamp for a feature. Stamp told Turan that he had been extremely nervous to play the role, but that a good friend encouraged him to take it, saying, “If you don’t start doing parts like this all you can look forward to is playing villains in Hollywood movies for the rest of your life,” and that, Stamp said, “stuck fear and loathing into my heart.”

“Priscilla,” about a group of drag performers on a bus trip to play a show at a resort hotel in the Australian desert, was a critical success, with Turan writing that it, “added some needed life to the Cannes Film Festival scene,” debuting in a “raucous midnight screening.”

In 1999 Stamp teamed up with Peter Fonda in Steven Soderbergh’s crime thriller, “The Limey.”

“When ‘60s icons collide, that should be the pitch for ‘The Limey,’,” noted a feature in The Times about the project. Stamp called his role as a British ex-con named Wilson investigating the death of his daughter in L.A., “the best offer I’ve had in 40 years.”

Stamp and Fonda, old friends who had long wanted to work together, were both experiencing comebacks at the time, with Stamp having just played Chancellor Finis Valorum in the blockbuster, “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.”

Terence Henry Stamp was born in London in 1938. His father was part of the Merchant Navy, and was often away for long periods of time. Stamp was raised mostly by his mother, grandmother and a variety of aunts. He loved the movies and idolized Gary Cooper and James Dean.

As a young man he earned a scholarship to Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art — one of Britain’s leading drama schools — and soon began performing at repertory theaters. His roommate at that time was the young actor Michael Caine, and the pair made friends with Peter O’Toole, quickly becoming enmeshed in the good-looking, fast-moving London party scene of the 1960s. Stamp famously dated actor Julie Christie, whom he starred alongside in director Ken Loach’s first feature film, 1967’s “Poor Cow.”

Stamp was known for his intense dedication to craft, particularly his ability to hone in on the psychological underpinnings of a given character. He was known for bringing the same depth of devotion to all his roles, including 1962’s “Term of Trial” alongside Laurence Olivier; William Wyler’s “The Collector” (1965); Joseph Losey’s “Modesty Blaise” (1966); John Schlesinger’s adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s “Far from the Madding Crowd” (1967); and a 50-minute short film by Federico Fellini, “Toby Dammit” (1968), among many others.

In 1999, while filming “The Limey,” he told The Times, “When you’ve had a long career you kind of merge all your great roles together. So I don’t think about being good in an individual thing. I think of the collective total, of working with [William] Wyler and Pasolini … I recently thought to myself, ‘You know, if it had to end now, it would really be OK.’ From ‘Billy Budd’ to ‘The Limey,” no actor could ask for more, so it’s a very great moment for me.”

The acclaimed novel was turned into a groundbreaking series

A period piece based on an acclaimed novel is now streaming and a must watch for any fans of costume dramas.

Audience members have praised the limited series on IMDb, with one user giving a 10/10 review and the title: “A skilled adaptation of an extraordinary novel”.

A second person titled their review “sublime” and said: “The BBC has done it again: this is a wonderful production of a very good book, and they have done it up in style.”

Another person heaped praised on the programme: “The sets and costumes are flawless, the direction is stylish and the characters are likeable. There is a fair amount of humor [sic] but it has surprisingly dark interludes. The protagonist is really a tragic figure, but not devoid of happiness.”

They added: “The BBC have made some wonderful productions in the past, and this adventurous period piece only confirms their standard of excellence on all fronts.”

READ MORE: BBC releasing unmissable period drama hailed as ‘greatest movie ever’READ MORE: Pride and Prejudice fans urged to watch ‘captivating’ Jane Austen period drama

A fourth commented: “This wonderful 3 part BBC production is one of the sweetest love stories that I have seen in a while.”

They went on to say: “The characters are well defined and very believable. I guess this is a by-product of a good adaptation from a well written novel.”

Tipping the Velvet aired on the BBC in 2022, based on Welsh author Sarah Waters 1998 debut novel of the same name.

The three-part series saw Pride and Prejudice and The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders screenwriter Andrew Davies overseeing the scripts.

Tipping the Velvet was set in the Victorian era and followed the sexual awakening of Whitstable native Nan Astley (played by Rachael Stirling) after she headed to the big smoke of London and fell in love with male impersonator Kitty Butler (Keeley Hawes).

The pair embarked on a passionate romance as Nan funded her life in London, before the pair form an onstage double-act.

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The series was a coming-of-age tale with moments of humour and darkness with a bawdy twist.

Tipping the Velvet featured a stellar cast, including Four Weddings and a Funeral star Anna Chancellor, Game of Thrones’ Jodhi May, Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins, Line of Duty’s Daniel Mays, Downton Abbey favourite Hugh Bonneville, Monica Dolan of Appropriate Adult fame, and even a turns from Doctor Stranger star Benedict Cumberbatch, Johnny Vegas and Alexei Sayle.

Both the TV series and novel have had a positive impact on the depiction of queer characters on screen and led to more LGBTQIA+ stories to be told onscreen.

Previously reflecting on the success of her novel and the subsequent BBC adaptation, author Waters wrote at length about it in 2018, marking the book’s 20th anniversary.

She explained in The Guardian how she was “thrilled” by the reception among the queer community but the success among straight readers “took me by surprise”.

Waters also pondered on whether she’d write a sequel and would focus on Kitty.

Tipping the Velvet is available to stream on Prime Video for a fee

A first glimpse at the new period drama has been shared as production begins.

Netflix has officially confirmed the remaining cast for its limited series adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel, Pride and Prejudice. Austen’s works have been adapted many times for the small screen, including an adaptation for the BBC.

The series, promising to be a “faithful, classic adaptation of the novel”, will see The Diplomat star Rufus Sewell as Mr Bennet, with Freya Mavor as Jane Bennet and Heartstopper alumnus Rhea Norwood as Lydia Bennet.

Rounding off the Bennet sisterhood are newcomers Hollie Avery and Hopey Parish in their debut roles of Kitty and Mary. Louis Partridge will take on Mr Wickham, with Stath Lets Flats star Jamie Demetriou as the pompous Mr Collins.

Last to join the cast is Killing Eve star Fiona Shaw as the fearsome Lady Catherine de Bourg, Daryl McCormack as Mr Bingley and Siena Kelly as Caroline Bingley.

READ MORE: Jane Austen fans urged to watch ‘brilliant’ and ‘refreshing’ movie adaptationREAD MORE: Pride and Prejudice fans urged to watch ‘captivating’ Jane Austen period drama

Pride and Prejudice, one of the most iconic novels of all time, is being adapted into a six-part limited series for the streamer.

Austen’s beloved works have enraptured generations for hundreds of years and her most famous and widely-read novel, Pride and Prejudice has inspired countless writers and filmmakers.

Executive producer Dolly Alderton said: “Once in a generation, a group of people get to retell this wonderful story and I feel very lucky that I get to be a part of it.

“Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is the blueprint for romantic comedy – it has been a joy to delve back into its pages to find both familiar and fresh ways of bringing this beloved book to life.

“With Euros Lyn directing our stellar cast, I am so excited to reintroduce these hilarious and complicated characters to those who count Pride and Prejudice as their favourite book, and those who are yet to meet their Lizzie and Mr Darcy.”

Previously announced stars joining the cast are The Crown’s Emma Corrin and Olivia Colman, and Slow Horses star Jack Lowden.

Also joining the cast are the following:

Anjana Vasan will be Mrs Gardiner

Sebastian Armesto will be Mr Gardiner

Rosie Cavaliero will be Lady Lucas

Saffron Coomber will be Mrs Hurst

James Dryden will be Mr Hurst

Justin Edwards will be Sir William Lucas

James Northcote will be Colonel Forster

Eloise Webb will be Harriet Forster

Isabella Sermon will be Georgiana Darcy

Pride and Prejudice will air on Netflix

Jane Austen fans may have missed this adaptation of her works

As Jane Austen marks her 250th birthday this year, fans are revisiting the celebrated author’s works.

Over the years, numerous adaptations of her novels have been created, along with fresh interpretations that draw inspiration from her books, reports the Express.

Some notable examples include Bridget Jones’s Diary, which reimagines Pride and Prejudice in a modern setting, and Clueless, which transposes Emma from Regency England to the complex social hierarchy of a 1990s Beverly Hills high school.

Additionally, there are productions like ITV’s Lost in Austen, where a contemporary woman finds herself in the world of Pride and Prejudice, and Austenland, which follows a romantic as she visits a Jane Austen-themed park in pursuit of her Regency dreams.

However, one lesser-known adaptation, featuring two Virgin River stars, is also worth watching.

On IMDb, one viewer praised the film as “brilliant”, saying: “Vibrant, colorful [sic], hilarious and lively, this movie was a sheer joy to watch. A refreshing take on an old classic.”

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Another reviewer commented: “Well, it’s pretty hard, isn’t it, to write a spoiler for a film which is based on such a well-known, well-loved novel! I will show my hand here and say that I am a Janeite.

“However, I am not a purist and I like many Jane Austen adaptations that many Janeites don’t (for example I like ‘Mansfield Park’).”

One viewer noted: “The script did a pretty good job of capturing the essence of the story whilst playing around with some of the details eg cutting out the fifth daughter whose role in the story is pretty minimal, and making the ‘tyrant’ in Darcy’s life his mother not his aunt (a more realistic situation in its modern setting).”

Another fan chimed in: “Gurinder Chadha has transported Jane Austen’s great novel to India. What a charmer this film turns out to be! The adaptation of the novel is excellent as the new locale is incorporated to the story.”

They continued: “The incredible Indian colors explode in front of our eyes giving the Western viewers such an opportunity to experience a little taste of India [sic].”

Bride and Prejudice, released in 2004, masterfully blended Bollywood and Hollywood through the lens of Jane Austen.

Directed by Gurinder Chadha of Bend It Like Beckham fame, the film offered a refreshing spin on Austen’s classic tale of Pride and Prejudice.

Bollywood icon Aishwarya Rai Bachchan took centre stage as Lalita Bakshi, who initially butts heads with the suave American businessman Will Darcy, played by Martin Henderson, before they inevitably fall for each other.

Joining Henderson was Daniel Gillies, known for his roles in Virgin River and The Originals, who portrayed his rival George Wickham – a role that amusingly mirrors their respective characters in Netflix’s romantic drama series.

The cast also boasts acclaimed Indian actor Anupam Kher, known for his roles in Bend It Like Beckham and Hotel Mumbai, Naveen Andrews of Lost and The English Patient fame, Namrata Shirodkar from Hera Pheri and Major, Indira Varma who starred in Game of Thrones and Luther, and EastEnders‘ Nitin Ganatra.

Bride and Prejudice is available to watch on Apple TV+

The film was a success when it was released in 1995

A quintessential adaptation of a timeless Jane Austen novel is now available to watch, reports the Daily Express.

Initially released in 1995, the film garnered widespread critical acclaim, with numerous critics hailing it as one of the finest Austen adaptations ever made.

One IMDb reviewer titled their post: “A classic for all time.”

They continued: “Whoever says they just don’t make the quality of pictures today that they used to hasn’t seen or is ignoring this film.”

A second reviewer described the film as “a subtle masterpiece”, stating: “I saw this movie in a cinema back in 1996 and since that June I have seen it about a dozen times.”

“It is true, that being an ardent lover of the so-called Romantic (as if the 13th century couldn’t be Romantic or 17th, but these things are academic nonsense) period I can enjoy even minor pieces of period cinema, however this is most probably the best film set in the early 19th century.”

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A third review, titled “Faithful, beautiful, enjoyable, one of the best film adaptations of period novels.”, read: “Normally period adaptations need at least a few hours to do proper justice. And so it is usually the television versions that are better for those who like things faithful to text. Film versions usually truncate and romanticise/Hollywoodise which can be frustrating.

“However, films have bigger budgets and better production values so are easier on the eye. However, this is a shining example of 2.5 hour film which packed so much detail in for a real complete sense of the novel, but also with great faithful performances, at the same time as being great to watch with all the production values and cinematography or a big budget movie. One of the better film adaptations of period pieces ever.”

Released amid a flurry of Jane Austen adaptations, the Hollywood hit Sense and Sensibility shared its release year with the BBC’s heralded Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, as well as Persuasion featuring Amanda Root and Ciarán Hinds – not to mention the contemporary spin on Emma, Clueless, which became an instant hit.

Based on the classic 1811 novel by Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility follows the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (played by Emma Thompson) and Marianne (Kate Winslet), who manifest two opposing approaches to love after facing sudden financial ruin.

With their fortune gone, the Dashwood sisters are forced to navigate society in search of suitable husbands to secure their futures, encountering numerous unexpected developments along the way.

The film boasted an impressive ensemble cast including the likes of Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Greg Wise, Gemma Jones, Dame Harriet Walter, James Fleet, Hugh Laurie, and Imelda Staunton.

The esteemed British actress, Thompson, not only starred in the film but also penned the screenplay, earning her an Oscar for Best Writing.

Both Thompson and Winslet bagged BAFTA Film Awards for their stellar performances in Sense and Sensibility.

Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee was brought on board to direct the movie, marking his international breakthrough. He later won Oscars for Brokeback Mountain and The Life of Pi.

Despite subsequent adaptations of Sense and Sensibility, including the BBC’s 2008 miniseries, this version is widely regarded as the pinnacle among Austen adaptations.

Sense and Sensibility 1995 is streaming on Apple TV and Prime Video for a fee