New 'Emma' Adaptation Puts a Cheeky, Modern Spin on a Timeless Classic!

If you’re needing a Jane Austen fix, we’ve got just the film for you!

A new adaptation of her classic novel Emma is hitting theaters this Friday (February 21), and it looks like so much fun! Strap in, we’re telling you everything you need to know about Emma.!

The first big screen adaptation of Emma is from 1996, based on the Jane Austen title of the same name, and it is a CLASSIC. There is so much to love about it -- The thick '90s brows. Ewan McGregor’s wig. Gwyneth Paltrow's acting. Truly iconic.

Another adaptation of the classic novel is probably one you're more familiar with and it came out around the same time -- 1995's Clueless starring Alicia Silverstone. That's right! The movie is a modern-day (well, modern for the '90s) update of the Regency-era story!

But there is a new Emma Woodhouse in town! Emma., coming out February 21 from Focus Features, stars Anya Taylor-Joy who plays a more cunning, stylish version of the storied Austen leading lady. 

If you don’t know the story, we’ll recap for you. It came out in 1815, but... spoilers, I guess? The story takes place in fictional Highbury and revolves around Emma Woodhouse, a young woman-turned-matchmaker who bites off a little more than she can chew when she starts meddling in the lives of her friends. Emma Woodhouse is like that one friend who constantly tries to hook you up with her rejected Bumble matches. 

Many adaptations of the story have focused on Emma as an ingenue amongst dark regal colors and dense conversations with rich men, but Autumn de Wilde’s adaptation makes the world more playful, pastel, and a little more modern -- all while keeping the subtle commentary of Austen’s work on the table. Emma is a story that relies a lot on the social constructs presented, the class struggle, and the delicate gender ideology presented. 

There’s so much about Emma. that we are SO excited about! The costumes, the colors, Emma and Mr. Knightley (played by a very regal-looking Johnny Flynn) bickering and falling in love. The trailer is a delightful feast of color and cheeky writing, and we can’t wait to see what this new adaptation brings to the Emma canon!