Reese Witherspoon Is Turning 'Where The Crawdads Sing' Into A Movie
It's hard not to be a Reese Witherspoon fan. From her iconic acting roles (hello, Elle Woods) to her more recent success as a producer, the multi-hyphenate is certainly a Hollywood powerhouse. Now, Witherspoon is adding yet another impressive feature to her oeuvre: a film adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing.
The best-selling murder mystery by Delia Owens was originally a Reese's Book Club pick in September 2018. Since then, the critically and commercially acclaimed novel dominated the New York Times best-sellers list and became Amazon's most sold fiction book for all of 2019.
It's clear Owens's novel has a devoted audience, eagerly waiting to see the book brought to life on the big screen. While production is still in early stages, here is everything we know so far about the Where the Crawdads Sing feature film.
Reese Witherspoon's production company, Hello Sunshine, is behind the new adaptation.
Witherspoon is no stranger to film production. In addition to her time in front of the camera, she has garnered much success with her company, Hello Sunshine. The media company focuses on telling stories that place women both behind the scenes and at the center of stories.
According to the Hello Sunshine website, "We tell stories we love—from big to small, funny to complex—all shining a light on where women are now and helping them chart a new path forward."
Indeed, Witherspoon's prior selections certainly fit this bill. Previous productions have included the movies Wild and Gone Girl, along with the television shows, Big Little Lies, The Morning Show, and Little Fires Everywhere.
Recently, Big Little Lies, The Morning Show, and Little Fires Everywhere were nominated for a combined total of eighteen Emmy Awards.
A post shared by Reese Witherspoon (@reesewitherspoon) on Sep 6, 2018 at 10:58am PDT
The coming-of-age story revolves around a possible murder.
Given her chilling work on Gone Girl and Big Little Lies, we know Witherspoon is no stranger to the murder mystery genre. Crawdads will be different, however, as the story focuses on a younger narrator, Kya, otherwise known as the “Marsh Girl.”
The novel, set in 1969 in a quiet coastal North Carolina town, focuses on Kya, who has lived alone in the Marsh for years, immersed in the natural world. Her whole life changes when she is suspected of murder and thrust into the center of an investigation. Naturally, intrigue and mystery follows in this stunning coming-of-age portrait.
Women will helm this special project.
Of course, Witherspoon is producing Crawdads, alongside film executive Lauren Neustadter.
Olivia Newman will direct the feature, her largest project to date. The director made her feature debut with First Match, a 2018 Netflix sports drama. She has also directed episodes of FBI, Chicago Fire, and Chicago PD.
Writing the script is Lucy Alibar, who is best known for co-writing the 2012 film Beasts of the Southern Wild. The script earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. It's unclear how true-to-book this script will be, but according to the Hollywood Reporter, Newman will also have oversight on the storyline.
The cast has not yet been announced.
Fans eagerly await the film's cast announcement, especially to see who will play the leading role of Kya. Given Witherspoons past productions, there will most likely be a great deal of star power in this feature. Who knows? Perhaps, Witherspoon herself will take on an acting role.
Either way, Witherspoon is certainly looking forward to the project. "It's just one of those really exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities," she told Harper's Bazaar. "It's very fulfilling."
Can't wait for the movie? Get ready by reading the novel.
The book was a best-seller for a reason. Get a head start on your movie preparation by reading Owens' critically acclaimed novel now. Trust us, you won't be able to put it down.
We'll keep updating this page as we get more information on the film adaptation.
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