Some stories do not simply survive the passage of time.
They find new audiences.
They find new faces.
And, every few years, they find a new way to make us feel everything all over again.
This October, one of literature’s most beloved stories returns to the big screen.
From Focus Features and Working Title comes a new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, bringing the legendary Dashwood sisters back into the spotlight in a story filled with love, family, heartbreak, societal expectations and hope.
Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles, the film opens in South African cinemas nationwide on Friday, 16 October 2026.
A Family Forced to Begin Again
At the heart of Sense and Sensibility are the Dashwood women.
Following the death of Mr Dashwood, his widow and their three unmarried daughters — Elinor, Marianne and Margaret — suddenly find themselves facing an uncertain future.
Their family estate, Norland Park, passes to John Dashwood, Mr Dashwood’s son from a previous marriage.
With their circumstances changed, Mrs Dashwood and her daughters have little choice but to leave Norland Park behind.
Their new home is Barton Cottage, a much more modest property some distance away.
For the Dashwood sisters, the move represents more than a change of address.
It marks the beginning of a new chapter where love, uncertainty and social expectations collide.
Elinor and Edward
For eldest daughter Elinor, leaving Norland Park is made even more difficult by what she is leaving behind.
She has developed feelings for Edward Ferrars, a handsome and stoic man who had recently visited his relatives at Norland.
Edward is also the brother-in-law of John Dashwood.
Elinor’s feelings place her in an increasingly complicated emotional position.
Her sister Marianne tries to comfort her.
But Marianne soon finds herself caught in a romantic story of her own.
Marianne Falls Hard
Marianne’s world changes after an unexpected encounter with John Willoughby, a dashing bachelor.
The connection between them quickly becomes intense.
The pair fall madly in love, but Elinor worries that her sister is being too cavalier with her affections.
At the same time, another man enters the story.
Colonel Brandon appears entirely devoted to Marianne.
The contrast creates one of the central tensions between the sisters.
Elinor approaches life through logic.
Marianne is driven by passion.
Their differences frequently bring them into conflict, as only sisters can, but beneath those clashes lies something stronger.
Their bond.
Love, Loss and Sisterhood
As the Dashwoods navigate their new lives, they encounter romance, heartbreak, loss and the pressures of societal expectations.
Their journeys may take different emotional paths, but neither sister faces them alone.
Their relationship becomes an anchor through the whirlwind surrounding them.
And that is part of what continues to make Austen’s story so enduring.
At its heart, Sense and Sensibility is not simply a story about romance.
It is also a story about family.
About two sisters who see the world differently.
And about the bond that carries them through uncertainty towards the possibility of happiness.
A New Cinematic Take on Austen
The new film promises a charming and witty interpretation of Austen’s celebrated novel.
It stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles, alongside Caitríona Balfe, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, George MacKay and Fiona Shaw.
Based on Jane Austen’s novel, the screenplay has been adapted by Diana Reid.
The film is directed by Georgia Oakley.
Behind the production are producers Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, India Flint and Jo Wallett.
Together, the team brings a classic story of love and sisterhood back to the cinema for a new audience.
The Story Returns
There is something fitting about seeing Sense and Sensibility return to the big screen.
Austen’s story has endured because its emotional questions remain instantly recognisable.
How do we navigate love?
How do we deal with disappointment?
How much should we listen to our hearts?
And what happens when the people closest to us see life differently?
For Elinor and Marianne, those questions become personal.
Their journey takes them from Norland Park to Barton Cottage and through a complicated world of romance, heartbreak and expectation.
But through it all, their sisterhood remains.
Now, their story is ready to begin again.
Sense and Sensibility opens in South African cinemas nationwide on Friday, 16 October 2026.
