Set seven years after the events of Jane Austen’s beloved novel, Pride & Prejudice 2: Pride Harder reimagines Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy not as a fairytale couple — but as two deeply repressed, emotionally volatile adults teetering on the edge of social, moral, and marital collapse.
Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) is no longer the bright, principled heroine audiences remember. Now a bitter political wife in a crumbling Pemberley estate, she suspects Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) of infidelity, corruption, and worse — poetry. Meanwhile, Darcy hides secrets from the past that threaten to explode: scandal, betrayal, and a mysterious death at Netherfield Park.
When a newly empowered Lydia returns with a vengeance — and a publishing deal — the entire Bennet family spirals into a PR nightmare. Old resentments flare. Letters are forged. Tea is spilled.
It’s Bridgerton meets Gone Girl with a dash of Succession. Polite society will never recover.
🎭 Cast:
- Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet-Darcy: emotionally burned out, morally compromised, and armed with sharp wit and sharper corsets.
- Matthew Macfadyen as Fitzwilliam Darcy: brooding, emotionally distant, and increasingly unhinged.
- Florence Pugh as Lydia Bennet-Wickham: rebranded as a Regency-era influencer with a revenge arc.
- Ralph Fiennes as Mr. Collins: now a bishop with a dark obsession.
- Emma Corrin as Georgiana Darcy: navigating sapphic love and class warfare.
💰 Budget & Production:
With an estimated $85 million budget, the film spares no expense on sprawling English manors, poisoned ink, and designer bonnets by Gucci. Costume design is led by Oscar-winner Jacqueline Durran, fusing historical authenticity with psychological decay.
Filming locations include Highclere Castle, a fog-covered moor in Yorkshire, and several emotionally charged drawing rooms.
📝 Notable Quotes from the Trailer:
- “You used to love me.”
- “I loved who I thought you were.”
- “It’s always been about class, Fitzwilliam.”
- “This isn’t a scandal. It’s a war.”
🧠 Why This Exists:
According to director Emerald Fennell, Pride Harder is “an exploration of what happens when love is based on pride, and prejudice turns inward.” Co-produced with A24, the film dives head-first into Austen’s darker themes — hypocrisy, gender, legacy — and cranks it up to 11.
🍿 Audience Reactions (Early Screenings):
“Like watching Wuthering Heights on cocaine.” — IndieWire
“Jane Austen is rolling in her grave… but clapping.” — The Guardian
“This is Les Misérables if everyone had a therapist and chose violence anyway.” — Twitter (X)
📆 Mark Your Calendars:
Pride & Prejudice 2: Pride Harder premieres November 21, 2025, in theaters worldwide — just in time for awards season and family holiday arguments.
