New Adaptation Of 215-Year-Old Classic Ties With Kate Winslet's Iconic Version On Rotten Tomatoes

Published Oct 18, 2026, 7:59 AM EDT Fariba Rezwan is a Lead Editor for the Movie News team. She has been with ScreenRant for nearly five years, with roles ranging from list editor to junior news editor. During that time, Fariba has led coverage for breaking movies and TV news, including Hunger Games, Marvel, and streaming. Additionally, she has actively provided commentary and reactions to the biggest movies and shows on her YouTube channel, The Movieception Show. It's a tie. Jane Austen is one of the most prolific writers, notable for classics like Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey. Since then, several of her stories have been adapted to the big or small screen, including Sense and Sensibility. Although the most popular version stars Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson in the 1995 movie, a new iteration is coming out two decades later to introduce today's audiences to Austen's iconic world. This time, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles portray the main Dashwood sisters. Reviews of 2026's Sense and Sensibility weren't as strong as Ang Lee's 1995 version, earning 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, compared with a near-perfect 97%. However, with the movie now in theaters, audiences are more receptive to the new adaptation. With over 250 ratings, 2026's Sense and Sensibility has a 90% audience score, tying the 1995 version. Reviews of the new Sense and Sensibility noted a more rustic, earthy aesthetic than the previous version, focusing more on the close bond between the Dashwood sisters than on the romance, which was more prominent in the 1995 iteration. Additionally, Edgar-Jones and Creed-Miles' performance and chemistry were praised for their deep, multidimensional portrayal of the two sisters. Choose the movie with the higher Rotten Tomatoes score. However, it remains polarizing, with critics taking issue with the muted tone and key changes from Austen's original, which they feel take away from the story's richness. As a result, some critics find Lee's 1995 superior for its filmmaking achievements, livelier storytelling, and sophistication, which the new adaptation lacks. That version earned seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won Best Adapted Screenplay, which Thompson also wrote. Despite its critical reception, the new Sense and Sensibility movie is already making an impact at the box office. With a $25 million budget, it's currently projected to make $6.7 million in its first three days domestically, the best debut for a period-set Austen movie. That's despite heavy competition from Street Fighter, Whalefall, and You Can See Everything. Interestingly, Sense and Sensibility won't be the only Austen story to get a revamped adaptation. Netflix is adapting one of her most iconic stories, Pride and Prejudice, into a six-part limited series, starring Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden. That will premiere in December 2026. Meanwhile, there have been attempts to expand her original novels, including The Other Bennett Sister. Georgia Oakley directed the adaptation, with Diana Reid penning the screenplay. The star-studded cast includes Caitríona Balfe, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, George MacKay, and Fiona Shaw. Sense and Sensibility is now playing in theaters. Release Date October 16, 2026 Runtime 132 minutes Director Georgia Oakley Writers Diana Reid Producers Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan, Jo Wallett, India Flint Cast Esme Creed-Miles Marianne Dashwood