Few modern novels were as scandalous upon release as D.H. Lawrence‘s “Lady Chatterley’s Lover.” The book, about an affair between an upper-class woman and a working-class man, remains infamous for its frank erotic prose and explicit sex scenes. In fact, the novel ruffled the feathers of UK publishers so much that it wasn’t published in full in Lawrence’s native England until 1960, thirty years after its initial release.
Now the latest film adaptation of Lawrence’s novel hits Netflix this December. Emma Corrin and Jack O’Connell star in this version as the story’s central pair, whose secret romance thwarts Edwardian social mores.
Here’s an official synopsis for the film, courtesy of Netflix:
Marrying Sir Clifford Chatterley, Connie’s life of wealth and privilege seems set as she takes the title of Lady Chatterley. Yet this idealistic union gradually becomes an incarceration when Clifford returns from the First World War with injuries that have left him unable to walk. When she meets and falls for Oliver Mellors, the gamekeeper on the Chatterley family estate, their secret trysts lead her to a sensual, sexual awakening. But as their affair becomes the subject of local gossip, Connie faces a life-altering decision: follow her heart or return to her husband and endure what Edwardian society expects of her.
Alongside Corrin and O’Connell, “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” stars Matthew Duckett, Joely Richardson, Ella Hunt, and Faye Marsay.
French actress and director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre helms this version of “Lady Chatterley’s Lover. It’s her first film since 2019’s “The Mustang,” starring Matthias Schoenaerts and Burce Dern. David Magee, best known for his screenplay for 2004’s “Finding Neverland,” adapts Lawrence’s novel for the film. Magee is in a career renaissance, having also penned another Netflix film this year, “The School For Good And Evil.” He’s also the scribe for the upcoming Tom Hanks vehicle, “A Man Called Otto,” in theaters this Christmas. In addition, Isabella Summers, of the band Florence And The Machine, composes music for the film.  Sony‘s 3000 Films produces the film for Netflix.
So, will this new take on Lawrence’s steamy modern classic be a surprise hit for Netflix? Find out when the film hits the streamer on December 2. Watch a trailer for the movie below.