
English author Jane Austen (1775-1815) is a huge part of the frock flicks canon. Her novels fulfill the dream criteria for stories to adapt into historical costume movies and TV series: the period is historical, the characters are complex and relatable, the stories are female-centric and complex, and there are swoon-worthy heroes. She may only have written six full books (and many unfinished ones as well as shorter pieces), but they’ve been adapted over and over again, especially once TV became a Thing. It also helps that there’s a whole subset of people who are interested in the Regency era, although that’s probably at its root due to Jane Austen.
Let’s take a look at Austen and her works on screen, particularly emphasizing what we’ve reviewed here at Frock Flicks! In part one of this guide, I discussed the many versions — and our reviews — of the big five books: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion. Today, I want to look at the lesser known books, the various films featuring Jane Austen herself as a character, and films/TV series directly inspired by her works.
Of course, there have been many modern-set adaptations, from Clueless (1995) to Bride and Prejudice (2004). Given our focus on historical costumes here at Frock Flicks, I’ll only be discussing the films and TV series that are costumed historically. Feel free to discuss modern adaptations in the comments!
Lesser Known Writings
Some of these are unpublished works, others are based on her juvenalia (short stories and other writings while as a teenager).
Sanditon
An novel left unfinished at the time of her death, it’s about the social mores of a group of people visiting a seaside resort town and examines themes around conservative and new influences in society.
There’s only been one TV adaptation, the 2019-23 (three season) series adapted by Andrew Davies, who famously/successfully adapted the 1995 Pride and Prejudice. Season one starred Rose Williams as Charlotte Heywood and Theo James as Sidney Parker.

We had a guest writer (Yosa) bless us with detailed recaps of the season one’s episodes. She killed me with her line, “There are no hand jobs in Jane Austen,” which gives us a very good sense of how true to Austen the adaptation is. I haven’t watched it (FAR too much hair), so I’ll give you Yosa’s wrap-up on the costumes (designed by Sam Perry) from her final recap: “Wackadoo sums up the costumes as well. In general, it is nice Regency clothing, sans hairpins and a clear idea of who has money and who doesn’t.”

And, of course, those hair issues — especially the plethora of historically inaccurate side parts — led Trystan to write a post taking down said side parts for Snark Week.

Lady Susan
Austen wrote this novel around 1794, but never published it. The plot focuses on the title character, who schemes to marry off certain other characters and prevent the marriages of others.
It was adapted once, in 2016, but using the title of another Austen work, an unpublished short story originally called Love and Freindship (but the movie corrects the spelling to Love and Friendship). The director was Whit Stillman, which is important because he’s an auteur-type who makes very talky films (that I happen to love, but YMMV). It stars Kate Beckinsale as Lady Susan Vernon and Chloë Sevigny as Alicia Johnson.

The costumes for the film were designed by Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh. In our detailed review, I note that she seems to be aiming for 1790ish, but many of the costumes have clunky aspects to them that just don’t suit the period. The hair also throws things off, being bulky in a way that styles of the era shouldn’t be.

Biopics
Of course, Jane herself is a fascinating figure (for more bio, see part one of this guide). So there’s been several attempts at biographical films/TV series that have focused on her life!
Becoming Jane (2007)
Set before Austen was published, this film is a thwarted romance between Austen and a man she mentioned in some of her letters, Tom Lefroy. The film builds out that connection into a romance that has plot points and characters drawn from Pride and Prejudice. It works if you just decide that this Jane Austen is a fictional character and ignore the real history. The film stars Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen, James McAvoy as Thomas “Tom” Lefroy, Julie Walters as Mrs. Austen, Maggie Smith as Lady Gresham, Lucy Cohu as Eliza de Feuillide, Anna Maxwell Martin as Cassandra Austen, and Helen McCrory as Mrs Radcliffe.

The costumes for the film were designed by Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh. As we discuss in both detailed and short reviews, while many of them work individually, the designer mixes up her eras in a way that’s confusing in terms of characters (different members of the same family are in very different decades for no good reason). Nonetheless, there’s a lot that’s pretty and it’s definitely a film to watch!
Miss Austen Regrets (2007)
Focusing on the opposite end of Austen’s life, this BBC TV film shows the author towards the end of her life, dealing with the emotional ramifications of never having married and gets overly involved in her niece’s love life. It stars Olivia Williams as Jane Austen, Greta Scacchi as Cassandra Austen, Pip Torrens as Edward Austen Knight, Tom Hiddleston as John Plumptre, and Hugh Bonneville as Rev. Brook Bridges. Sarah wrote a detailed review, in which she sums things up as, “It’s actually a pretty decent film, marking out an engaging storyline, and taking the viewer on a nice little meandering trip into the imagination of [the] scriptwriter… as she muses about how Jane Austen should have been, not how she necessarily was.” In my short review, I wrote that “I loved the story, acting, and casting, and found it to be very emotionally moving.”

The film’s costumes were designed by Andrea Galer, who’s done A LOT of Regency adaptations. I was totally bored by the costumes, finding them very samey in my short review; meanwhile Sarah found much to praise in her lengthy review. There’s no hive-mind at Frock Flicks!
Miss Austen (2025-)
I was inspired to write this whole two-part series because there’s an upcoming BBC series about Jane Austen that looks really interesting! It’s framed in 1830, after Jane’s death, as Cassandra Austen decides to burn most of Jane’s letters (true story), but then flashes back to show the events of the past. I read somewhere it will be a docu-drama, but I think that’s wrong, given it’s an adaptation of a fictional novel. It will star Keeley Hawes as Cassandra Austen, Patsy Ferran as Jane Austen, Rose Leslie as Isabella Fowle, and Max Irons as Henry Hobday. The BBC hasn’t yet announced an airdate, but PBS will show it in the States on May 4, 2025.

No costume designer has been announced yet, and I want to reserve judgement, so here’s a few more pics to whet our appetites! We’ll definitely have an in-depth review in May.



Directly Inspired by Austen
And finally, we come to “works that are directly inspired by Austen and her writings.” Some are sequels, some are alternate versions, but all tie in directly to Austen and her writings.
Lost in Austen (2008)
This film takes a modern-day woman (“Amanda”) and switches her (through magical means) with Elizabeth Bennet as the Pride and Prejudice story begins (Elizabeth stays in the modern world, and Amanda goes into the P&P world and ends up taking Elizabeth’s place in the story), to excellent comic relief. This ITV mini-series stars Jemima Rooper as Amanda Price, Elliot Cowan as Fitzwilliam Darcy, Tom Mison as Mr. Bingley, Alex Kingston as Mrs. Bennet, Hugh Bonneville as Mr. “Claude” Bennet, Gemma Arterton as Elizabeth Bennet, Christina Cole as Caroline Bingley, Lindsay Duncan as Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Ruby Bentall as Mary Bennet. And as I wrote in my confession, “The problem with talking about why I actually love this miniseries is that one of the best things is that the plot moves in unexpected directions, and that element of surprise is (at least on the first viewing) part of its charm. Because, minus a few elements, most of the tweaks work within the P&P storyline. Sure, they’re not what you were expecting, but that’s what makes them fun.”

As I wrote in my detailed review, the costumes (designed by Emma Rosenthal) are mostly fine, if uninspired, with a few clunkers here and there. The main issue is the plot device wherein Amanda INSISTS on wearing her modern hairstyle (i.e., bangs and hair down), making her look absolutely deranged by Regency standards.

Austenland (2013)
A romantic comedy in which a modern woman pays to spend time at an Austen-themed resort, where everyone is given a Regency character/wardrobe and essentially instructed to act as though they’re in the period. And, of course, things unfold in a Pride and Prejudice-y sort of way. Keri Russell plays Jane Hayes, with JJ Feild as Mr. Henry Nobley, Jennifer Coolidge as Elizabeth Charming, and Jane Seymour as Mrs. Wattlesbrook. And, it’s hilarious!

As Trystan explains in her detailed review, the costumes — designed by Annie Hardinge — play up the class distinctions while also following the basic lines and elements of Regency dress. Probably the best character is nouveau riche Elizabeth Charming, whose wardrobe incorporates many modern elements to make it ridiculously over-the-top.

Death Comes to Pemberley (2013)
There are a GAZILLION sequels to Austen’s novels out there, and this BBC miniseries adapts one that’s both a sequel to Pride and Prejudice AND a murder mystery. Basically, someone gets murdered at Pemberley right as now-married Elizabeth and Darcy are having some marital strain. Many of the other key characters (sisters Lydia and Jane, George Wickham, Lady Catherine de Bourgh) find reasons to visit as the story unfolds, while Georgiana Darcy (Mr. Darcy’s young sister) finally falls in love. Matthew Rhys stars as Fitzwilliam Darcy, Anna Maxwell Martin as Elizabeth Darcy (née Bennet), Jenna Coleman as Lydia Wickham, Matthew Goode as George Wickham, and James Norton as Mr. Henry Alveston.

In my detailed review, I mostly talk about why I love the plot and defend the casting of Martin as Elizabeth. But I also discuss how Marianne Agertoft‘s costumes are serviceable, occasionally great, and occasionally lame (usually recycled costumes from other productions that don’t fit well).


Pride + Prejudice + Zombies (2016)
There was a whole raft of novels that rewrote Jane Austen’s stories and added horror elements. I believe this one was the most popular, and it’s the only one to get a big budget film adaptation. Essentially, Pride and Prejudice is rewritten to include, you guessed it, zombies. Zzzz. The film stars Lily James as Elizabeth Bennet, Sam Riley as Mr. Darcy, Douglas Booth as Mr. Bingley, Charles Dance as Mr. Bennet, and Lena Headey as Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I thought the plot was stupid and the whole thing was unnecessary, but then I’m not a big horror fan.

You’ll be shocked to read that in my detailed review, I discussed how the costumes (designed by Julian Day) were mostly fine: “There were bonnets and pelisses and spencers, and the prints were all perfect for the era, and I didn’t see much to complain about other than the few clunkers.”

An American in Austen (2024)
Last but not least, last year the Hallmark Channel decided to enter the genre with this TV film that’s essentially the same concept as Lost in Austen: a modern woman enters the world of Pride and Prejudice and changes the story. It stars the aptly named Eliza Bennett as Harriet and Nicolas Bishop as Mr. Darcy. Trystan’s detailed review tells us it actually wasn’t that bad: “While the premise seemed like it was just going to be an American copy, I found myself enjoying this one. Lizzie and Jane mocking Harriet for being an old maid as an unmarried woman over 30 was amusing, and the scenes between Harriet and Mary and then Harriet and Mrs. Bennet gave a thoughtful perspective on the changing role of women between Austen’s time and now.”

The costumes were designed by Irina Kotcheva. Trystan writes, “I did notice a few recycled costumes, so I’m just going to assume a lot of rentals and off-the-rack stuff here. Which makes the visuals less offensive than the Hallmark Sense and Sensibility in many ways, except for one big one. Yep, a critical lack of hairpins and only occasional headgear!”

What’s your favorite on-screen film or TV series either based on, inspired by, or featuring Jane Austen?
Miss Austen seems to have been at least co-designed by Jan Simpson, who also co-worked on the latest BBC Miserables, Poldark etc. Figures: Made-for TV/streaming productions with a good deal of costumes pulled from other younger predecessors/costume houses and prettily but characterwise not very discriminatingly spread about the cast – or a small number of mostly norm core, understyled custom-made costumes. At least the differing decades seem to register. Except for Rose Lesley’s Isabella, the youngest of the 1830ies portion, who looks stubbornly stuck in an 1810s way.
Is that Sarah Ferguson in the last picture?
Yes! She’s weirdly shoe-horned in for a scene. Hope it paid well, lol.
Brunette in P&P&Z is I think Millie Brady who played Mary Bennett as she has a darker coat like her older sisters in the film (unlike Kitty and Lydia who got pastel outerwear to show their more flippant nature) and Suki Waterhouse as Kitty had not terribly period accurate bangs.
Did I read somewhere that there’s an adaptation of ‘Longbourn’ in the works? I hope so! it’s definitely the best of the Austen sequels/inspired by etc books.
There’s been one “in the works” for ages (& it’s on our upcoming movies list) but very little specifics yet, unfortunately.
Apropos of nothing, Ms. Imogen Poots has one of my favourite names to be found in any cast list – just the perfect combination of ‘hilariously cute’ and ‘actually quite pretty’.
Also, I am deeply disturbed that the author of this article completely forgot to mention a key player in that picture from BECOMING JANE.
I am, of course, referring to the PUG (After all, how else is a running joke to keep on it’s feet when neglected so shamelessly?).😉
Almost forgot to add – I watched a bit of SANDITON back in the day (If nothing else it gave us Mr Adrian Scarborough with an accent worthy of Abraham Van Helsing*) and on being reminded of the show it struck me once again that Ms. Charlotte Spencer (Who plays the young lady with an unfortunate connection to her stepbrother) has a face that absolutely demands WITH MENACES to be set atop an Elizabethan ruff.
Honestly, I cannot decide if she might make a better Queen Elizabeth the First or the sort of Tudor Beauty who had to think fast if she wanted to avoid the jealousy of Queen Bess…
*It would be dishonest of me to pretend that the abundance of lovey ladies in half-decent frocks did not play a key role in sustaining my interest for the length of Season One.
Jane Austen died in 1817.
That was kind of a jump scare at the end!