Dakota Johnson is set to star in Netflix’s retelling of Jane Austen’s novel “Persuasion.”

Carrie Cracknell, known for directing Jake Gyllenhaal in “Sea Wall/ A Life” on Broadway, is stepping behind the camera in her feature directorial debut. Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow have adapted the screenplay.

Described as a “modern, witty approach” to a beloved story, “Persuasion” tells the story of Anne Elliot, an unconforming woman living with her snobby family on the brink of bankruptcy. Unmarried and 27-years-old, Anne reconnects with a man she was once persuaded to reject and faces a second chance at love.

“Persuasion” was the last novel written by Austen, the author of literary classics like “Sense and Sensibility,” “Pride and Prejudice” and “Emma,” prior to her death in 1817. The property has been adapted for the screen numerous times, including the 2007 TV movie starring Sally Hawkins.

A separate production of “Persuasion...