Taylor-Joy, who quit school to become an actor when she was 16, explained exactly why she felt it was so important to take on the role of Emma.

She said: “When I said yes to Emma, I said ‘yes’ but under the umbrella of ‘I want to play her the way that Jane Austen wrote her, which is – and there’s an actual quote – ‘I’ve written a character I’m not sure anybody but myself will like’.

“I want to play this character in a way that isn’t immediately likeable. Because I’m sick and tired of women having to be, not just likeable, but easily likeable.

“And I want to create a flesh and blood human being that can celebrate when she does something good but also shake her head and be like ‘no that was a bad thing to do, that was a bad action’.”

Emma movie: Anya Taylor-Joy is sick and tired of playing “likeable” female characters