In 2017, Greta Gerwig established herself as one of the most interesting filmmakers working today, in only one film. Her debut, “Lady Bird,” was easily one of the best films of that year and earned the actress-turned-filmmaker Oscar nominations, including Best Director. Not bad for a first feature. Now, for her follow-up, she’s tackling a film with beloved source material, “Little Women.”
And thanks to Vanity Fair, we now have a first look at what’s sure to be one of the big awards contenders of the year.
“Little Women” is based on the Louisa May Alcott novel of the same name and tells the story of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—as they grow from children into women. The novel is seen as a sort of autobiography about Alcott’s own life, growing up with three sisters, and is one of the classics that kids (especially girls) grow up reading. And for Gerwig, the novel is incredibly personal, in a similar way as “Lady Bird.”
READ MORE: Oscar Winner Alexandre Desplat To Compose The Score For Greta Gerwig’s ‘Little Women’
“This feels like autobiography,” the filmmaker said. “When you live through a book, it almost becomes the landscape of your inner life. … It becomes part of you, in a profound way.”
There is also one more big reason why “Little Women” is similar to “Lady Bird” — the cast. Joining Gerwig once again is Saoirse Ronan, who was the lead in the filmmaker’s first outing. She joins “Little Women” as one of the March sisters, Jo.
“I’m so blessed to work with [Saoirse] twice,” Gerwig said. “She’s such a filmmaker as an actor. She’s like a barometer of … that truth that rings true.”
READ MORE: Greta Gerwig Wants To Make ‘Lady Bird’-Verse With 3 More Movies About Sacramento
Ronan also had kind words to say about Gerwig, “In the truest sense of the word, I just idolize her.”
The film stars Ronan alongside Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, and Meryl Streep.
“Little Women” arrives in theaters on December 25.
Here are all of the first look photos:
