The producers of Poldark and Victoria have promised a darker twist on Pride And Prejudice when they bring the classic period drama to screens again.
Marking the UK’s sixth TV adaptation of the story, but the first for ITV, Mammoth Screen have commissioned Consent playwright Nina Raine to take on the job of penning the script.
Having never seen any televised versions of the story, Raine told Radio Times magazine: “Pride And Prejudice is actually a very adult book, much less bonnet-y than people assume.
“I hope I do justice to Austen’s dark intelligence – sparkling, yes, but sparkling like granite.”
Coming almost 25 years after Colin Firth strode onto screens as the unforgettable Mr Darcy – and almost 200 years since the book was first published – Mammoth managing director Damien Timmer hinted that this version would provide the definitive re-working for the 21st century.
“Every generation needs its own adaptation of this perfect novel,” he said.
“In this age of the box-set – with audiences loving to binge on complex, serialised dramas – it feels absolutely right to reassess the great classics.
“Nina Raine is one of the most gifted writers working today, and her wit and emotional intelligence make her the perfect match for Jane Austen.”
The popular tale about the Bennett sisters and their struggle to fit their hopes for husbands with their oppressive mother’s wishes, was also turned into a hit film starring Keira Knightley, Rosamund Pike and Carey Mulligan in 2005.
Mammoth has yet to share a release date for the finished series and is currently working on a fourth series of hit drama, Poldark, on BBC1.
Radio Times is out now.
