After setting an initial release date for Sept. 22 of this year, the release date for Lionsgate's upcoming comedy-drama film, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, has been pushed back from its Sept. 22 release to a new date, April 28, 2023, according to Deadline. The change was met with a recent release date shuffle by the studio, which also set a Dirty Dancing sequel for a 2024 release.
After winning the rights in 2020, Lionsgate will distribute the film based on the Judy Blume novel of the same name. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret will center around 11-year-old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) moving from her home in New York City to the Suburbs of New Jersey. At her new home, Margaret copes with puberty as she begins a quest to discover her religious identity after being brought up by both Christian and Jewish parents.
The book, initially released in 1970, was met by heavy controversy and has been challenged. Controversy centered around the book's approach to both sexual and religious topics. Tackling these topics, the novel was deemed anti-Christian received heavy pushback by parents and schools.
Despite the book being subsequently challenged and banned during its initial release, it remained a bestseller and has achieved modern acclaim for its approach to adolescence and religion. At its release it was recognized by the New York Times as an outstanding book of the year and in 2010, the novel was included in Time's 100 best novels published since 1923.
Whether the film will receive the same controversy as the novel remains to be seen, however with a talented filmmaker at the helm, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is a film that fans of the novelist won't want to miss next year.
The film will be both written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, who previously wrote and directed the critically acclaimed film, The Edge of Seventeen, and will be produced by Julie Ansell, Blume, Amy Brooks, James L. Brooks, Kelly Fremon Craig, and Richard Sakai.
Produced by Gracie Films and distributed by Lionsgate, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret will star Fortson (Ant-Man and the Wasp) alongside Rachel McAdams (Doctor Strange), Benny Safdie (Licorice Pizza), Kathy Bates (American Horror Story), Elle Graham (Swamp Thing), and Amari Alexis Price.
The film will be released in theaters on April 28, 2023.