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The 2005 classic movie, which is a Jane Austen adaptation, Pride and Prejudice, is set to re-release in theaters across the United States on April 20, 2025. The film's return to the silver screen is in honor of the 20th anniversary of its release.
On March 13, 2025, Focus Features announced that the Joe Wright directorial will hit theaters on April 20 for a limited period and tickets were open for sale. A new poster celebrating its 20 years was dropped on the same date. The production house also launched an exclusive re-release trailer for Pride and Prejudice, which was both a critical and commercial success during its time.
A classic adaptation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel of the same name, the Joe Wright directorial stars Keira Knightley as the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennett. Matthew Macfadyen stars as Fitzwilliam Darcy, the male lead in the story. The popular film is often seen as one of the best romances of all time.
Fans were left elated with the news of Pride and Prejudice's return to theaters. One X user excitedly requested that the film be released worldwide as well and wrote:
"Pls release it worldwide and we will be in all our lizzie bennet glory."
"I’m going to ask you guys for never before seen delete scenes please," another user demanded.
"Y'all need to host like a reunion event of the cast and crew of the movie. I really wanna see Keira, Carey, Pike, Jena and Talulah together one last time," another fan requested.
"Oh my goodness, I need to see this in theatres most ardently," a netizen remarked.
Fans continued to react to the return of the film in theaters:
"A classic that never gets old can't wait for the re-release!," an X user opined.
"A truth universally acknowledged: This masterpiece only gets better with time," another netizen chimed in.
"I will reread the book as well," a person commented.
When Matthew Macfadyen revealed that he "did not enjoy" playing Fitzwilliam Darcy in Pride and Prejudice
In a July 2024 appearance on CBS Mornings, Matthew Macfayden, who played Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, said he regretted not enjoying the role enough. The actor believed he was 'miscast' in the role and explained:
"I feel bad saying that. There were moments I had a good time, but I wish I enjoyed it more. I wish I was less worried about it. I felt a bit miscast, like, ‘I’m not dishy enough. But it worked out."
Further, Macfayden indicated that he now enjoys how his character and the film aged over the years.
"The most flattering thing that happens to me now is people say, ‘Were you Mr. Darcy?’ It’s a good 20 years later. So I think, ‘I can’t be aging that badly," he said.
In an interview with MovieFreak, Pride and Prejudice director Joe Wright opened up about some of his casting decisions in the film. Wright said that he could only cast Matthew Macfayden as Darcy because Keira Knightley played Lizzie in the film. He believed Matthew was "less of a star" than Keira was, so he could not have cast the actor had it not been for Knightley's presence. He had to "balance it out" as much as possible.
In the same interview, Joe Wright called Matthew Macfayden "one of the best actors of his generation in England." He believed Macfayden would treat his role in Pride and Prejudice by trying to understand the character like any "good actor" should. Wright continued to shower praise on his former leading man and said:
"He’s the least vain actor you’ve ever met in your life and he wasn’t coming onto this trying to portray an icon, he was coming on to play a character in the same way he would, had he been approaching Hamlet or any other great role."
Two decades later, Pride and Prejudice is still considered among the best adaptations of a Jane Austen novel. The film follows the story of a free-spirited English woman, Elizabeth Bennett, and her budding romance with an aristocrat, Fitzwilliam Darcy, set in 19th century England. Austen's original novel of the same name is considered a landmark work in English Literature and continues to inspire generations.
