Sony Pictures has released the first Little Women trailer. Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s iconic 1868 novel that charts the lives of four sisters from childhood to adulthood. In this new version, Emma Watson plays Meg March, Saoirse Ronan plays Jo March, Florence Pugh (Midsommar) plays Amy March, Eliza Scanlen (Sharp Objects) plays Beth March, and Timothee Chalamet plays Theodore Laurence.

What's striking about this trailer is how modern the movie looks. It's certainly embracing its period setting, but the character's behavior and attitudes feel like they're drawn from the present day. However, rather than coming off as discordant or ahistorical, the approach works. It makes it feel like this setting is modern to these characters, so rather than feeling like stodgy relics or distant ancestors, their lives and concerns become immediate. I'm sure some folks will just see this as Lady Bird: 1868, but this doesn't simply feel like a rehash. Instead, Gerwig has clearly found her own take on the material, and I can't wait to see how it all shakes out when it arrives in theaters on Christmas.

Check out the Little Women trailer below. The film opens December 25th and also stars Meryl Streep, Laura Dern, Bob Odenkirk, and Chris Cooper.

Here’s the synopsis for Little Women:

Writer-director Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) has crafted a Little Women that draws on both the classic novel and the writings of Louisa May Alcott, and unfolds as the author’s alter ego, Jo March, reflects back and forth on her fictional life. In Gerwig’s take, the beloved story of the March sisters – four young women each determined to live life on her own terms -- is both timeless and timely. Portraying Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth March, the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, with Timothée Chalamet as their neighbor Laurie, Laura Dern as Marmee, and Meryl Streep as Aunt March.

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Image via Sony Pictures
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Image via Sony Pictures
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Image via Sony Pictures