First trailer for Georgia Oakley's 'Sense and Sensibility' arrives with Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles as the Dashwood sisters

Trailer release

Focus Features dropped the first trailer for the new 'Sense and Sensibility' on June 25, offering a first look at the Dashwood sisters' turbulent romantic lives in Georgian England. Scenes show Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles) grappling with a sudden loss of fortune after their father's death, the move to a modest cottage, and the arrival of potential suitors. Dialogue teases Elinor's unspoken attraction to Edward Ferrars (George MacKay), while Marianne dismisses restraint:

“A man who loves me must burn with it, with all his passions, without the slightest restraint or hesitation.”

Universal Pictures describes the adaptation as 

“an irresistible new take on Jane Austen's iconic Sense and Sensibility: a charming, witty, and deeply relatable story of love and sisterhood.”

Cast and crew

Edgar-Jones, known for 'Normal People' and 'Twisters', plays the sensible Elinor, while Creed-Miles ('The Chronology of Water') is the impulsive Marianne. Caitríona Balfe ('Outlander') stars as their mother, Mrs. Dashwood, and Frank Dillane ('Fear the Walking Dead') plays the roguish John Willoughby. George MacKay is Edward Ferrars, and Herbert Nordrum portrays Colonel Brandon. Bodhi Rae Breathnach rounds out the Dashwood sisters as Margaret, and Fiona Shaw appears as Mrs. Jennings. Georgia Oakley, the BAFTA-nominated director of 'Blue Jean', directs from a script by bestselling novelist Diana Reid. Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner produce alongside India Flint and Jo Wallett.

Story and tone

The story follows the early-19th-century Dashwood women after Mr. Dashwood's death leaves them with only £500 a year and forces them out of Norland Park, which passes to a son from his first marriage. Elinor catches the eye of the shy Edward, while Marianne is torn between Willoughby's charm and Colonel Brandon's steadiness. The trailer balances period drama with a looser feel, as the sisters tease each other behind closed doors and Elinor admits,

“It is bewitching, the idea of one's happiness depending entirely on another person. It is not always possible.”

Fan reaction and 1995 legacy

Early response online is split. Some viewers called the project "unnecessary" next to the beloved 1995 Ang Lee film starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. Others were cautiously optimistic. One commenter on X wrote:

“1995 stans will riot, but this looks like it actually gets the heartbreak. Count me in for the tissues and the bonnets.”

The 1995 version, with Thompson's Oscar-winning screenplay and a cast that included Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman, grossed over $134 million globally and remains the benchmark for Austen adaptations.

Release plans

Focus Features holds global rights, with Universal Pictures International handling distribution. Most reports give a U.S. release on October 16, while Spanish distributor Universal lists October 23 for cinemas in Spain. One early report claimed a worldwide date of September 25, though the majority of recent coverage points to mid-October. The film marks the eighth screen adaptation of Austen's 1811 debut novel since 1971.