Greta Gerwig's All-Star Take on a Literary Classic

Sony Pictures has finally released the first trailer for Little Women. This serves as Greta Gerwig's directorial follow-up to 2017's Lady Bird, which almost instantly puts this in the Oscar conversation on that point alone. Yet, we also have a new take on some truly treasured source material, in addition to a truly impressive ensemble cast.

The trailer kicks off by painting a picture of the special bond shared between the sisters at the heart of the story. We also get a strong sense for Jo, played by Saoirse Ronan, who is a progressive woman in her time, doing her best to make her own way in the world, despite being told that's not the way things work. Dramatic tension is built as relationships begin to form. The key takeaways here are how stunning and lush the movie looks, as it's clear Sony was willing to spend some money to make this thing look top-notch. It's also very clear that Greta Gerwig has a specific take on the source material and this will set itself apart from previous adaptations.

Related: Emma Watson Replaces Emma Stone in Greta Gerwig's Little Women Remake

Per the studio, Greta Gerwig has crafted an adaptation of Little Women that is inspired by both the classic novel and further writings of author Louisa May Alcott. The story unfolds as the author's alter ego, Jo March, reflects back and forth on her fictional life. The story centers on the March sisters, four young women each determined to live life on her own terms. Alcott's tale was originally published in two volumes between 1868 and 1869, before being collected in a full novel in 1890. The story has been adapted numerous times in the past, with the most successful being the 1994 movie starring Winona Ryder. The BBC also aired a well-regarded miniseries based on the book in 2017.

The ensemble includes Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) as Jo, Emma Watson (Beauty and the Beast) as Meg, Florence Pugh (Midsommar) as Amy and Eliza Scanlen (Sharp Objects) as Beth. Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name) also stars as their neighbor Laurie, with Laura Dern (Big Little Lies) as Marmee and Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) as Aunt March. Originally, Emma Stone was eyed for the role of Meg, but had to drop out, paving the way for Watson to take her place. In any event, the cast has several Oscar nominees and a handful of Hollywood's most respected young stars. And Steep, who has the most Oscar nominations of anyone in history.

Last time Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan teamed up, great things happened. Lady Bird was a critical smash, going on to earn $78 million at the box office. It also racked up a handful of Oscar nominations, including one for Gerwig as Best Director, making her one of very few women to ever earn a nomination in that category. Will lightning strike twice? We'll find out this Christmas as Little Women is set to hit theaters on December 25. Be sure to check out the trailer from the Sony Pictures Entertainment YouTube channel for yourself.

Topics: Little Women

Writer of various things on the internet (mostly about movies) since 2013. Major lover of popcorn flicks. Avid appreciator of James Bond, Marvel and Star Wars. Has a tremendously fat cat named Buster and still buys CDs. I’ve got my reasons.

Greta Gerwig's All-Star Take on a Literary Classic

Jacob's Ladder Remake Trailer Gives the Classic Thriller a Creepy Twist

The Jacob's Ladder remake trailer is finally here after years of waiting. The project has been in the works since 2013 and has gone through several changes behind-the-scenes since it was initially announced. The goal the whole time was to make a movie that paid homage to the original while making something contemporary. The original Jacob's Ladder came out in 1990 and starred Tim Robbins as a Vietnam veteran who is dealing with the loss of his young son and begins to have flashbacks, along with visions of terrifying demons.

Vertical Entertainment has picked up the Jacob's Ladder remake and they released the first trailer today. It looks intense and creepy, but one has to wonder if this is something horror fans really want to see. The movie has been on the backburner since it was shot in 2016 and has had more than a few release date changes since them. With that being said, The DISH Network will premiere the remake in July exclusively and then it will get a theatrical run beginning August 23rd.

In the Jacob's Ladder remake, Jacob Singer is getting his life back together after his brother is killed in Afghanistan. Jacob seems to have it all. He has a beautiful wife, a newborn child, and a successful career as surgeon in a VA hospital. However, things start to shift when a stranger approaches Jacob and reveals that his brother is actually alive and living in an underground shelter with other homeless vets. Jacob begins hallucinating, believes he is being followed by violent attackers, and becomes paranoid about the truth of what really happened to his brother because he never saw the dead body. When he discovers that his brother is alive and addicted to an experimental drug, he uncovers a secret he never could have been prepared for.

Related: Jacob's Ladder Remake Reunites Michael Ealy with Perfect Guy Director

With the DISH debut of the Jacob's Ladder remake before the theatrical release, it would seem that the studio does not have much faith in the long-talked about project. It's taken six years to get to this point and there have been a lot of changes to the script, which might not bode well for the movie at all. However, this is all speculation and the horror remake could end up being quite good, though one has to imagine we would have seen it a lot sooner than now if that were the case.

The Jacob's Ladder remake trailer features about two-minutes of footage. It gives a good explanation as to what the story is about as we watch Michael Ealy's version of Jacob Singer starts to go off the rails. The movie was directed by David M. Rosenthal from a script written by Jeff Buhler and Sarah Thorp. In addition to Ealy, the remake also stars Jesse Williams and Nicole Beharie. You can watch the trailer for the Jacob's Ladder remake below, thanks to the Vertical Entertainment channel.

Topics: Jacobs Ladder

Writer for Movieweb since 2017. Enjoys playing Catan when not writing about superheroes and Star Wars.

Jacob's Ladder Remake Trailer Gives the Classic Thriller a Creepy Twist