The best film and TV adaptations of Pride and Prejudice

Hold on to your bonnets: there's a new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice coming to the small screen in autumn 2026. The latest version of Jane Austen's 1813 masterpiece will be a six-episode Netflix series, penned by Dolly Alderton (of Everything I Know About Love fame) and directed by Euros Lynn (who also directed two seasons of Heartstopper). With such a team behind the camera – and Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden starring as Elizabeth and Darcy – we already know we're in for a treat.  

But if you're anything like us, you might be feeling nostalgic for the earlier adaptations of Pride and Prejudice (how has it been 20 years since Matthew Macfadyen's infamous hand flex?). It's time for a rewatch, which is why we've compiled the following guide to the best Pride and Prejudice adaptations, as well as a refresher on the book's plot and main characters.  

What is Pride and Prejudice about? 

Who are the main characters? 

The Bennets:

Mr Bennet - The calm and measured patriarch who lacks foresight, takes great pleasure in winding up his wife and freely admits that Lizzie is his favourite child. 
Mrs Bennet - The oft hysterical matriarch who can’t stop scheming to find rich husbands for her daughters and who absolutely favours Lydia. 
Elizabeth Bennet - Our heroine. She’s gutsy, self-assured, quick-witted, and has the finest eyes that Mr Darcy has ever seen. 
Jane Bennet - The eldest and, by all accounts, most beautiful of all the sisters, with a sweet disposition. 
Mary Bennet - The Bennet sister who is described as “the only plain one in the family”, and whose singing and philosophical outbursts cause embarrassment at social gatherings. (At least she got her own TV spin-off earlier this year, with the excellent The Other Bennet Sister.) 
Lydia Bennet - The youngest and most confident of all the sisters, as well as the biggest flirt, who seeks to elevate her status via the attention of whichever soldier in a red coat catches her eye, most notably Mr Wickham. 
Kitty Bennet - Heavily influenced by her younger sister’s behaviour, spends much of her time daydreaming and talking about dancing with the officers in Meryton. 

Everyone else: 

Mr Charles Bingley - The new neighbour, kind and exceptionally friendly, loves a ball and falls head over heels for Jane at first sight.  
Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy - Insanely rich, disagreeable, a snob and yet still one of the most hankered after “book boyfriends”. 
Caroline Bingley - Mr Bingley’s sister, turns up her nose at everything and everyone in Meryton and wants Mr Darcy all to herself.  
Mr Wickham - a soldier with a convincing sob story who, while handsome, is dastardly and manipulative.  
Mr Collins - An obsequious, odious parson and a cousin of the Bennets who will inherit their house, thanks to it being entailed away from the female line.  
Lady Catherine de Bourgh - the Patron of Mr Collins, and Mr Darcy’s formidable (terrifying) aunt. 
Charlotte Lucas - Elizabeth’s best friend, teetering on the edge of “spinsterdom”. 

The best film and TV adaptions of Pride and Prejudice

The most faithful adaptation:  Pride and Prejudice mini series, 1995  

Directed by: Simon Langton 

Screenplay by: Andrew Davies 

Starring: Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth 

For many, this is the ultimate adaptation of Pride and Prejudice – a luscious escape into Regency England accompanied by perfect portrayals of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy by Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. Apart from being able to let the slow-burn relationship develop in an authentic way across six episodes, so much of the genius of this adaptation is in the microexpressions of Firth and Ehle: the softening of eyes or twitch of a mouth seen across a room speak volumes when it comes to the art of portraying a couple falling in love, and these actors do it so effortlessly. The rest of the cast are also exquisite, from Alison Steadman’s screechy Mrs Bennet, to David Bamber’s repellent Mr Collins.  

But without a doubt, the most iconic moment of the show is Mr Darcy emerging from a lake in a very fetching, wet shirt, which has gone on to be referenced in everything from Barbie to Bridget Jones (and the dreams of millions  – thank you, Andrew Davies).  

Watch if you like: The OG wet shirt look, fully developed story arcs, authentic depictions of Regency society, Perfection 

The most entertaining adaptation: Bride and Prejudice, 2004  

Directed by: Gurinder Chadha 

Screenplay by: Paul Mayeda Berges and Gurinder Chadha 

Starring: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Martin Henderson 

This film is a musical adaptation of Austen’s classic. It’s also a staple for millennial women who can easily spot other fans by seeing who can finish the lyrics to “No Life Without Wife”. Instead of being set in 19th-century Hertfordshire, Bride and Prejudice takes place in modern-day Punjab; it’s a surprisingly easy transition, since glorious weddings and dances are central to the social lives of our leads. 

Influenced as much by Bollywood as by Austen, this sweeping love story between cultures (Lalita is Indian, Darcy is American) is full of explosions of colour. Instead of gallivanting around the English countryside, the film takes us on a sprawling journey of tourist hotspots from The Golden Temple, to the London Eye, to the Grand Canyon. 

Watch if you like: Beautiful sarees, musicals, anti-imperialist messaging.

The most cinematic one: Pride and Prejudice, 2005  

Directed by: Joe Wright 

Screenplay by: Deborah Moggach 

Starring: Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen  

After the BBC mini-series, this is perhaps the most beloved adaptation of Pride and Prejudice because it puts romance at the very heart of the story. Matthew Macfadyen’s Darcy pines for Keira Knightley’s Lizzie, looking as though he is in physical pain when he can’t have her. 

The cinematography is also stunning, bathing everyone in a glorious gold; the greens of the lush countryside invite us all to stand in the middle of the Peak District and contemplate life. And as for what happens at dawn when the mist is lifting? Well, that’s between our two lovers.  

Watch if you like: utterances about boiled potatoes, declarations of love in the pouring rain, hand flexes.  

The funniest adaptation: Pride and Prejudice, 1940  

Directed by: Robert Z. Leonard 

Screenplay by: Aldous Huxley and Jane Murfin 

Starring: Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier 

This is one of the most entertaining Pride and Prejudice adaptations, partly because of the broad comedy set pieces like carriage racing and archery competitions, designed to appeal to the masses who may not know Austen’s story. Because of low budgets, sets and costumes had to be reused from previous films, so dresses are more akin to those worn during the American Civil War, rather than the Regency period, which lends a sense of frivolity to the whole affair.

Greer Garson’s Elizabeth is one of the wittiest on the list, making the verbal sparring between her and Laurence Olivier feel like something out of a screwball comedy and is unforgettably charming.   

Watch if you like: anachronistic period dramas, Mary getting her flowers as brilliant comic relief, Mr Darcy unable to play it cool.

The most modern: Fire Island, 2022  

Directed by: Andrew Ahn 

Screenplay by: Joel Kim Booster 

Starring: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang and Conrad Ricamora 

Fire Island is the most egregious retelling of Pride and Prejudice and the most inspired. Five queer best friends head to Fire Island, just off New York, for a weekend of mayhem, partying and sex. Lizzie becomes Noah (Joel Kim Booster, who also wrote the film), who wants to find someone for Jane/Howie (Bowen Yang), one of his ‘sisters’. When the pair meet Will and Charlie (no prizes for guessing who they are), sparks fly. 

Despite this being a modern retelling, social hierarchy is still prevalent and, much like in Pride and Prejudice, the love story is sabotaged by backstabbing and characters with a superiority complex. As well as being a joyful celebration of queer communities, there are plenty of Pride and Prejudice references in Fire Island for the Austen superfans to enjoy.

Watch if you like: modern rom-coms, quick-fire banter, interfering friends, speedos.

The most inventive: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 2016  

Directed by: Burr Steers 

Screenplay by: Burr Steers and Seth Grahame-Smith 

Starring: Lily James and Sam Riley 

Instead of embroidery and pianofortes, there are whetstones and muskets in this irreverent horror reimagining of the Regency Era, in which the characters find themselves taking up arms against zombies rather than the French. The Bennets are far more interested in learning the correct fighting techniques and keeping an arsenal of weapons under their dresses than bagging husbands – although, of course, if a handsome, rich man should wander into their vicinity, their eyes are always open. Meanwhile, Colonel Darcy has earned a reputation as one of the most fearsome zombie hunters in the land but is he a formidable enough opponent for Lizzie? 

Matt Smith is hilarious as the supercilious Mr Collins, who may or may not have a crush on Darcy, and Lena Headey plays an exceptionally badass Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who manages to make an eye-patch look incredibly chic.

Watch if you like: (Physically) strong female characters, zombie films, Colonel Darcy in a leather jacket. 

The most relatable: Bridget Jones’ Diary 2001 

Directed by: Sharon Maguire 

Screenplay by: Helen Fielding 

Starring: Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth 

The second-best adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Fiirth, this noughties romcom re-imagines Elizabeth Bennet as Bridget Jones: a perpetually single heroine who worries about her weight, gets herself into horribly awkward situations and just can’t see how brilliant she is. It also updates the Wickham-esque baddy by introducing us to Daniel Cleaver, a cad with undeniable charm and an inability to keep it in his pants. The Bennet sisters become Bridget’s chaotic but supportive best friends, and the film is a Christmas staple thanks to Mark Darcy’s reindeer jumper and Pam’s turkey curry.  

Watch if you like: films that feel like a warm hug, Chaka Khan, meta casting, men liking you just as you are. 

The most hotly anticipated: Pride and Prejudice mini series, Netflix, 2026  

Directed by: Euros Lynn 

Screenplay by: Dolly Alderton 

Starring: Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden 

We know very little about the latest adaptation apart from the genius casting (Rufus Sewell and Olivia Colman as Mr and Mrs Bennet? Inspired). However, screenwriter Dolly Alderton has spoken about her intense adoration for the novel and it sounds like she will ensure that the nuances of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy’s love story will be at the forefront of her adaptation, recognising Lizzie’s strength and Darcy’s devotion. 

Alderton has already proven her comedy chops in her novels and memoir (Ghosts, Good Material, Everything I Know About Love), which is vital in any retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but there will also undoubtedly be yearning in spades from stars Emma Corrin and James Lowden, as well as plenty of meta millennial references to previous adaptations – i.e. we will riot if there is no wet shirt scene.  

Watch if you like: Olivia Colman being wacky, dysfunctional families, love conquering all.

Is Pride and Prejudice worth reading? 

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! (That’s a quote from the 2005 adaptation, as any dedicated fan will know). Each Pride and Prejudice adaptation is fantastic in its own right, but it can’t compare to the source material itself. Austen may not have invented the hugely popular enemies-to-lovers trope but she perfected it in Pride and Prejudice, not least by showing male devotion without expectation. The novel is also full of wonderfully observant and ironic gems about society and family life, many of which still feel relevant today; in other words, it’s a must-read classic for a reason.

Frequently asked questions