Thanks to Pride & Prejudice, Bridgerton is about to get a big rival for its fourth season, as Netflix is currently in talks to develop a series adaptation of Jane Austen’s most famous novel. While the series has yet to be greenlit, the script for the new Pride & Prejudice adaptation has been penned by Everything I Know About Love author Dolly Alderton. According to Deadline, no names are currently attached to the project, but it’s important to note that Pride & Prejudice popularized many of the Regency-era tropes that can be found in works today.
The structure of Pride & Prejudice has been reimagined on screen several times to great success, most notably with the 1995 BBC miniseries starring Colin Firth, and a decade later in the film of the same name, where Matthew Macfadyen and Keira Knightley arguably delivered their best performances as the infamous Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. While Bridgerton has many strengths, some aspects of Chris Van Dusen’s more period piece are inspired by Austen’s original novel, which could see audiences turn their attention to the streaming service’s fresh retelling of the original – if the projects are released around the same time.
Pride and Prejudice is a tale of love and social status first written by Austen in the early 19th century. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet have become arguably the two most popular characters in the genre, and have garnered a global fanbase. The source material could ensure the upcoming series the kind of instant success that the streaming service has consistently hoped for with its originals to avoid further cancellations. While details about the new adaptation are limited, Netflix is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the success of the series to deliver a modern take on the story.
If the streaming service applies the same attention to detail to its new adaptation, it will attract a similar audience to its rival in the upcoming season of Bridgerton.
A modern retelling of the love story of Pride & Prejudice would quickly set it apart from previous adaptations, which is something audiences are eager to see. Bridgerton has proven that this formula can be profitable, and the series has been praised for its effective depictions of intimacy, as Pride & Prejudice has yet to address. Netflix has a stellar reputation for producing high-quality period pieces, as evidenced by the Bridgerton universe dominating Netflix’s most-watched list. If the streaming service applies the same attention to detail to its new adaptation, it will attract a similar audience to its rival in the upcoming season.
Pride & Prejudice’s story has gone far beyond Bridgerton, which was inspired by the 1813 novel. In fact, the 2020 Bridgerton series is set in the year Austen’s novel was published, as a nod to her famous works. Bridgerton has several resurrections and references to Pride & Prejudice throughout its three seasons, and some of the couples, such as Anthony and Kate’s story in Bridgerton, bear a resemblance to Austen’s original characters. It’s clear that Bridgerton has reinvented the genre that Pride & Prejudice first created.
Netflix’s upcoming series will see Pride & Prejudice surpass the Bridgerton series in terms of depth of plot. If her work in Everything I Know About Love is anything to go by, Alderton’s script for the Pride & Prejudice adaptation will likely feature complex explorations of the characters’ relationships and their journeys of self-discovery. These motifs are central to the Bridgerton story, but they’re largely consistent and have become synonymous with Jane Austen’s classic and infallible tale.
