Sense and Sensibility (film) Emma Thompson had written. Doran believed the humour and style of writing was "exactly what [she'd] been searching for." Thompson and Doran were already working together on Mirage's 1991 film "Dead Again." A week after its completion, the producer selected Thompson to adapt "Sense and Sensibility", although she knew that Thompson had never written a screenplay. Also a fan of Austen, Thompson first suggested they adapt "Persuasion" or "Emma" before agreeing to Doran's proposal. The actress found that "Sense and Sensibility" contained more action than she had remembered, and decided it would translate well to drama. Thompson spent five years
Sense and Sensibility (film) adaptations of an Austen novel to be released in cinemas in over fifty years, the previous being the 1940 film "Pride and Prejudice". The year 1995 saw a resurgence of popularity for Austen's works, as "Sense and Sensibility" and the serial "Pride and Prejudice" both rocketed to critical and financial success. The two adaptations helped draw more attention to the previously little-known 1995 television film "Persuasion", and led to additional Austen adaptations in the following years. In 1995 and 1996, six Austen adaptations were released onto film or television. The filming of these productions led to a surge in popularity