Sense and Sensibility is returning to the big screen in the latest adaptation of Jane Austen’s iconic 1811 novel. And if the Oscar-winning 1995 film starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet is anything to go by, expectations are sky-high for this new version starring Daisy Edgar-Jones as Elinor Dashwood and Esmé Creed-Miles as Marianne Dashwood.
The title itself reflects the contrasting personalities of the two sisters, with the story balancing reason against emotion as they navigate love, heartbreak and family duty in Regency England. Here’s everything you need to know, including the plot, cast, release date, and the magnificent Sense and Sensibility filming locations.
What Is the Plot of Sense and Sensibility?
Sense and Sensibility follows the two eldest Dashwood sisters in late 18th-century England. After the death of their father, the family is forced to leave their grand Sussex estate and adapt to far more modest circumstances.
As Elinor and Marianne search for love and stability, the novel explores themes of grief, financial hardship, and societal expectations.
The title itself reflects the sisters’ opposing personalities, contrasting Elinor’s reserved “sense” with Marianne’s passionate “sensibility.”
Who Stars in Sense and Sensibility?
The cast includes: Daisy Edgar-Jones as Elinor Dashwood
Esmé Creed-Miles as Marianne Dashwood
Caitríona Balfe as Mrs. Dashwood
Frank Dillane as John Willoughby
George MacKay as Edward Ferrars
Fiona Shaw as Mrs. Jennings
Herbert Nordrum as Colonel Brandon
Bodhi Rae Breathnach as Margaret Dashwood
Stacy Martin as Fanny Dashwood
The film is directed by Georgia Oakley from a screenplay by Diana Reid, with Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, India Flint, and Jo Wallett serving as producers.
Where Was Sense and Sensibility Filmed?
With Jane Austen’s beloved novel set in England’s South West, the production made extensive use of the country’s historic estates, picturesque villages, and sweeping countryside to recreate Regency England.
Much of the film was shot across Devon, where director Georgia Oakley chose the dramatic landscapes of Dartmoor National Park to capture the Dashwood sisters’ new life in the countryside. Filming reportedly took place around Princetown, Tavistock, and Gutter Tor, while Dorset’s unspoiled villages and rolling countryside were also used throughout production after the creative team searched for authentically modest cottages to portray Barton Cottage.
Elsewhere, Knebworth House in Hertfordshire doubled as the Dashwood family’s grand ancestral estate, while Rainham Hall in east London was used for scenes set at Mrs. Jennings’ home. The elegant Wilton House in Wiltshire is also believed to have provided several interior settings for the adaptation.
Meanwhile, Montacute House in Somerset – famously featured in the Oscar-winning 1995 adaptation starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet – is widely believed to have returned as a filming location for the 2026 film, although its exact role has yet to be officially confirmed.
Fair to say the location department had one seriously scenic assignment. The extensive Sense and Sensibility filming locations shoot was overseen by supervising location manager Ian Hutchinson alongside Pauly McCluskey, Hugo Nicholson, Eddy Pearce and Sammy Thomson, bringing Jane Austen’s England to life across some of the country’s most beautiful heritage locations.
What Has the Cast and Crew Said?
Fiona Shaw praised the scale of the production while speaking to The Guardian, saying:
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in a carriage with four horses. Although the truth of swanning about in posh houses is that you’re 13 hours in a corset and wigs, but I’m sure the outcome will be well worth it.”
Director Georgia Oakley also explained that she wanted the Dashwoods’ new home to feel genuinely modest, telling Vogue that the team searched for “authentically modest” cottages to portray Barton Cottage.
Credit: Focus Features / © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
Is There a Trailer for Sense and Sensibility?
There is. Universal Pictures UK and Focus Features have released the first trailer, offering audiences their first look at Daisy Edgar-Jones and the rest of the cast bringing Jane Austen’s timeless story back to the big screen.
When Is Sense and Sensibility Released?
Sense and Sensibility arrives in UK cinemas on September 25, 2026, and in US cinemas on October 16, 2026.