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Dakota Johnson joins the world of Jane Austen in ‘Persuasion’ adaptation

The adaptation of Jane Austen's last completed novel, which also stars Henry Golding, hits Netflix in July.

Chances are, the trailer for "Persuasion" is cheeky and intriguing enough to persuade you to watch the Jane Austen movie adaptation, dropping on Netflix on July 15.

Dakota Johnson, previously known for "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "The High Note," breaks the fourth wall at the start of the trailer.

"I almost got married once," Johnson says, as Anne Elliott. "There were no two souls more in rhythm than Wentworth and I. And I was persuaded by my family to give him up."

"Persuasion" was the last completed novel by Austen. Anne Elliott, the protagonist, is the middle child of three daughters, and madly in love with Captain Frederick Wentworth (played by Cosmo Jarvis in the 2022 adaptation). Her family talks her out of marriage, deeming him unworthy.

"I would have been a far happier women in keeping him than I have been in giving him up," Johnson said in the trailer.

Eight years later, when 27-year-old Anne has achieved "old maid" status, Captain Wentworth reappears in her life. Their connection is palpable as ever.

The only problem? Wentworth is reluctant to pursue her again, given the fact that she once broke his heart. And, there's another suitor in the mix: Mr. William Elliott, an aristocrat played by Henry Golding (and a distant cousin of Anne's).


Dakota Johnson and Henry Golding in "Persuasion."
Dakota Johnson and Henry Golding in "Persuasion."Nick Wall / Netflix

The movie also stars Richard E. Grant, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Ben Bailey Smith, Yolanda Kettle, Nia Towle and Izuka Hoyle. Carrie Cracknell directs.

"Persuasion," as with other Austen novels like "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility," has been adapted for the screen multiple times. A 2007 movie starred Sally Hawkins and Rupert Penry-Jones as the central couple.

Johnson told Vogue in December that the movie felt like a "dream."

“Doing a Jane Austen film is the dream, and there are only a few of them so I feel incredibly lucky,” she said.