'The Other Bennet Sister' Marks the Start of Filming with Full Cast Reveal

BritBox and the BBC have announced that their co-production, The Other Bennet Sister, adapted from the 2020 best-selling Pride & Prejudice retelling, has begun filming in Wales. The BBC first announced the project in October 2024, but it was only a few weeks ago that BritBox boarded the series. At the time, filming was confirmed to begin in the summer of 2025, making this quite the quick turnaround. However, fans who are hoping this means the show will arrive in time for Jane Austen's 250th birthday should not be fooled, as the BBC also indicates that the show is not planned for release until 2026.

Along with the news that filming was underway, the two networks also released the full cast for the ten-episode series. Former Call the Midwife cast member Ella Bruccoleri (Seasons 8–12) was previously revealed to be playing the titular "other" Bennet sister, Mary, a fitting match for a character who was first iconized by Lucy Briers in the 1995 miniseries and then by Talulah Riley in the 2005 film. However, the casting of Elizabeth Bennet, Mary's lucky-in-love sister Lizzie, really leans into the 1995 adaptation with Poppy Gilbert (Sherwood) playing Austen's famed heroine.

The Other Bennet Sister is one of multiple productions planned as part of Jane Austen's Semiquincentennial, which fans will celebrate on December 16, 2025; however, like many of them, it's not being planned to arrive on Austen's birthday. (For example, Miss Austen and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life both already arrived months ahead of time.) "It's a joy to see cameras rolling on our vibrant, witty, and clever new take on Jane Austen's beloved world," BBC Drama director Lindsay Salt said in the press release. "With a pitch-perfect cast led by Ella, The Other Bennet Sister will be an irresistible treat for viewers when it launches on the BBC next year."