VANITY FAIR: Bridgerton Meets Pride and Prejudice in This Romantic First Look

I could always see myself in the shoes of all those amazing female characters,” muses Freida Pinto, describing her love of Regency-era novels written by authors like Jane Austen. “They were defying odds in their time.” The Slumdog Millionaire star studied English literature in college, poring over classic works and envisioning herself one day portraying such characters in adaptations on the big screen. 

Now she is, in the romantic new drama Mr. Malcolm’s List, directed by first-time feature filmmaker Emma Holly Jones and costarring Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù as the titular hero. In the film, which you can get an exclusive first look at below, Dìrísù plays the dashing Mr. Malcolm, a wealthy and elegant suitor looking for a bride who meets all the qualifications he has on his list. Pinto plays Selina Dalton, a woman who helps her friend Julia Thistlewaite (the charming Zawe Ashton) get revenge on Mr. Malcolm after he rejects her for falling short of his lofty criteria.