
When it comes to popularity and staying power, few books can match Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice. Even though the novel was initially published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice still has a dedicated fanbase that’s steadily grown over the past two centuries. Why wouldn’t it? The sparkling wit of Austen’s writing and the innate charm of Elizabeth Bennet, the book’s protagonist, still get a good laugh out of readers today.
Add a swoon-worthy lead male character who makes at least 10,000 pounds a year and you can see why Pride and Prejudice is magnificent material for movie and show adaptations. It’s had screen adaptations since 1940 and is still receiving remakes and alterations including an updated take in the form of Austenland.
If you’re a P&P fan looking for more shows and movies that are like Pride and Prejudice, say no more. These recent films and series play on many similar themes we’ve come to love in the original Austen novel.
1. Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Crazy Rich Asians was based on a book of the same name, written by Kevin Kwan. The story focuses on the lives of Asian elites, hence the title. Viewers and readers alike get to follow the tumultuous romance between Rachel Chu, an economics professor at New York University, as she travels to Singapore to attend her boyfriend Nick’s best friend’s wedding.
While she’s in Singapore, Rachel visits her college roommate Peik Lin, played by Awkwafina, and her family. She sits down for breakfast with the Lins who ask her about the guy she’s dating. The Lins (and her) are left in shock as they all realize that Rachel has been dating a member of the insanely rich Young family.
Why Itโs Like Pride and Prejudice
Crazy Rich Asians is what Pride and Prejudice would be if it were set in Singapore and was written in the 21st century. Seriously, there are few movies out there apart from direct adaptations of Pride and Prejudice that can claim such a close resemblance to the themes and socioeconomic shenanigans that Jane Austen loved to play with in her novels.
Rachel gets several hints, and not-so-subtle ones at that, telling her she’s just too low class for Nick. Everything about this movie, right down to the two times that Nick proposes to Astrid, screams Pride and Prejudice like no other non-adaptation can. The best part about it? Crazy Rich Asians setting is deeply immersive despite its over-the-top displays of wealth because Kwan himself is acquainted with the lives of old money families.
2. Emma (2020)

Emma Woodhouse is beautiful, smart, and rich. Her unique position as the inheritor of her father’s estate gives her a freedom that Elizabeth Bennet could only dream of. Emma doesn’t have to marry anyone. But Emma and the Pride and Prejudice protagonist both share certain character flaws, the most noticeable of which is the intense pride they take in their “cleverness” as Austen would say.
It’s Emma’s keen intellect and inability to mind her own business that results in a string of heartbreak for her friend who she convinces is too good for poor Mr. Martin. While she’s getting into all sorts of trouble in her matchmaking endeavors, Emma little expects to find herself in a romance of her own.
Why Itโs Like Pride and Prejudice
Any adaptation of Emma is an easy pick because the original Regency novel itself was also written by Jane Austen. That said, there’s a certain charm to the ridiculousness of the 2020 Emma that makes it such a good pick for modern audiences who want to see more Pride and Prejudice-like films without feeling like they’ve just watched Pride and Prejudice all over again.

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Admittedly, the 2020 adaptation isn’t the most traditional but that’s what makes it an enjoyable take. It manages to make the complicated social interactions of Regency England and Austen’s witty prose translate well for today’s viewers.
3. Little Women (2019)

Based on another classic children’s novel, Little Women, written by Louisa May Alcott, the movie follows the lives of the four March sisters. Each of the siblings has a distinct personality and different, sometimes clashing values and goals.
Most similar to Alcott herself, and to Austen, is Josephine March. As the writer of the group, she seems to be the most dynamic driving force of the film even though her sisters have dreams of their own. Her desire to forge her own path contrasts sharply with her younger sister Amy, who dreams of marriage and the finer things in life, and older sister Meg, who yearns for the March family’s wealthier days.
Why Itโs Like Pride and Prejudice
Like many of Jane Austen’s novels, Little Women delivers biting commentary on the lives of women during the 1800s. Jo deals with the restrictions of being a woman by fighting against them while Amy decides to play along for the sake of securing her future financial stability as well as that of her family.
The 2019 adaptation can be a little heavy-handed with its feminist themes but there’s an argument to be made that differences in social climate would have made it harder for modern viewers to pick up on the subtleties of just how difficult of a position the March sisters are in.
4. Bridgerton (2020)

Bridgerton is a flashy period drama style series based on Julia Quinn’s bestselling Bridgerton series. It’s a fantasy version of Regency London that features the cutthroat environment of England’s ton. For the non-nerds out there, the “ton” was Britain’s upper crust during the Regency era which comprised society’s wealthiest and most blue-blooded members.
The story revolves around Daphne Bridgerton’s quest to marry a man who’s from the right family and that she genuinely loves and loves her back. Basically, Daphne wants to have her cake and eat it, too.
As a ploy to attract more suitors, Daphne ends up in an increasingly complicated faux romance with the season’s most eligible bachelor, the Duke of Hastings. Will their faux love story lead Daphne to the same happy marriage that her parents had? That’s for you to find out.
Why Itโs Like Pride and Prejudice
Bridgerton has all the fun and drama of an Austen novel with none of Austen’s subtlety. That said, it’s still a fun show that fans of Pride and Prejudice are sure to love, especially if they enjoy the ball scenes in the original book and the costuming of more traditional movie adaptations. Just don’t expect a historically accurate marriage market (looking at you and your small dowry, Marina Thompson) from Bridgerton and you’re bound to have a great time.
5. Mr. Queen (2020)

You didn’t expect to see a Korean drama series here, did you? But the social intrigue and comedic scenes common in Korean period dramas closely resemble Austen’s books without being so much alike that they end up being boring.
Mr. Queen is an isekai period drama where Jang Bong-hwan, a chief working for South Korea’s equivalent of the White House, ends up in a coma after an incident. When he wakes up, he finds that he’s no longer in the modern world but has been transported back in time to the Joseon dynasty.
As if a world without wifi and indoor plumbing wasn’t bad enough, he discovers that he’s a woman. He must now navigate the intrigue of the Joseon dynasty court as Queen Cheorin while trying to wrap his head around the fact that he’s starting to fall in love with the arrogant, yet surprisingly compatible, King Cheoljong.
Why Itโs Like Pride and Prejudice
Jang Bong-hwan as Queen Cheorin and King Cheoljong are such a stubborn duo that you’d swear they were starring in ancient Korean Pride and Prejudice. Cheoljong and Darcy share their less-than-pleasant social habits and arrogant nature. On the other hand, Cheorin and Lizzy Bennet are both so violently sarcastic, they may as well be the same person.
The series has its own serious moments, too, especially the parts where Mr. Queen and the king plot to increase their political influence. If you’re still not sold, just check out the sheer crackhead energy that this series and its lead couple radiate.
6. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)

But maybe you’d like a more traditional Pride and Prejudice experience that only deviates in one small detail: there are zombies.
Like the original Pride and Prejudice, this zombified version follows the five Bennet sisters Elizabeth, Jane, Kitty, Lydia, and Mary on their quest to find a suitable marriage match. Except this time they’re also trained in martial arts and other zombie fighting methods.
Their forward-thinking father had the sisters trained in China so that they can defend themselves from the zombie hordes in England. They meet Colonel Darcy and Mr. Bingley during a country dance where Darcy overhears Mrs. Bennet’s plan to marry off her daughters to rich men, giving Darcy a reason to be wary of the Bennets.
Why Itโs Like Pride and Prejudice
It’s exactly like Pride and Prejudice but with zombies. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies replaces all of the major tensions of the original book and its traditional adaptations with a zombie-related problem.
Examples include Jane’s near zombification and a zombie Mr. Wickham. If you thought Mr. Queen was nuts, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is going to feel like the love child of an acid trip and fever dream.
7. Gentleman Jack (2019)

Gentleman Jack is a series based on the real life of Anne Lister, a woman who lived in the 19th century and, against all social norms of the time, managed to run multiple businesses while living her best life as a lesbian.
The romantic lives and sexual orientations of women from earlier periods in history would normally be written off with a classic “Historians say they were best friends.” Fortunately for us, Anne Lister left nothing up for speculation thanks to her detailed diaries that contained her thoughts about potential romantic prospects and notes about her judgments of Halifax’s upper-crust society.
Why Itโs Like Pride and Prejudice
It’s Pride and Prejudice but with higher stakes. There are high financial and status-related gains (and losses) at stake in the original book and its movie adaptations but the risks are much higher in Gentleman Jack because of the controversial nature of their relationship.
If Lady Catherine de Borough threw a fit about Elizabeth’s family being slightly less prestigious than Darcy’s, just imagine how bad things would have been if it were Elizabeth and Georgiana.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Gentleman Jack has its fair share of sweet and romantic moments that are bound to take your breath away. If you’re still not sold on the idea, see for yourself just how Austen-y the marriage proposals can get.
Binge-watching films like Pride and Prejudice? Why not watch the best Pride and Prejudice adaptation or revisit the shining moments of the 2007 Persuasion?