Although it might not be exactly what fans of the original novel Catherine, Called Birdy to expect, the 1994 novel by award-winning children’s author Karen Cushman is being adapted for the big screen. Catherine Called Birdy, a long-time passion project of Girls writer Lena Dunham, finished production last year. The finished film appears to be a big draw for kids and teens at theatres this fall thanks to the Newbury Honor-winning book’s promising source material.
In an interview with Variety earlier this month, director and producer Dunham, who also adapted the book for the big screen, said that although taking place in the past, the movie still has a lot to say to audiences today about the place of women and the problem of bodily autonomy.
Catherine Called Birdy: What about the plot?
A coming-of-age drama titled Catherine Called Birdy is set in thirteenth-century England. With her older brothers and parents, Catherine, also known as “Birdy,” resides in the English village of Stonebridge. She is going through adolescence, reads and writes, and is furious about the idea of being married off to an amorphous stranger. The snag is that her parents, who are minor nobles, are also financially strapped. Catherine’s father makes the decision to do just that in order to restore the family finances and makes it known that potential bachelors may approach his daughter about marriage. Startling attempts by Catherine to persuade each suitor that she is not the kind of girl they would want as their wife, as well as a steady stream of suitors of different shapes, sizes, and capacities, arrive.
Catherine Called Birdy: The cast & crew!
Bella Ramsey, an English performer whose first on-screen role was Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, is leading the cast as Catherine. Since leaving the show in 2019, she has been in high demand. She has had supporting roles in the His Dark Materials adaptation for the BBC, the World War Two drama Resistance, and Becoming Elizabeth on Starz, in addition to her voice work on Hilda and the Mountain King from the previous year. Following early in the upcoming year on Netflix is a second voice role in the eagerly anticipated Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget sequel from Aardman Animation.
Catherine Called Birdy: When will it release?
Positive reviews preceded Catherine Called Birdy’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month. On September 20, London hosted the film’s British premiere. From September 23 to October 7, moviegoers will have the opportunity to view the movie in cinemas for a short time before it becomes streamable on Prime Video.