Carolina knows! Where the Crawdads Sing has captivated readers since its 2018 release — and now, moviegoers will get to see Kya’s story come to life on the big screen.
Delia Owen’s bestselling novel has been adapted by script writer Lucy Alibar and director Olivia Newman for the July 2022 release of the movie by the same name. In the film, Daisy Edgar-Jones portrays Kya Clark, a marsh girl who is accused of killing Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson), a boy she once dated.
Through the story’s twists and turns — which pay homage to the way Owens pulled in readers from page one — viewers will learn more about Kya, her North Carolina marsh roots and where the town of Barkley Cove’s secrets are buried.
“I loved the book Where the Crawdads Sing and wanted to turn it into a movie,” producer Reese Witherspoon revealed in a May preview video for the movie. “It’s a thriller. It kept me guessing ‘til the very, very end.”
One month later, the Sweet Home Alabama actress, 46, teased what readers and audiences alike can expect from the upcoming summer film.
“The same feelings you get when you read the book, you’re going to have when you go see the film. But then [we] also add this thriller element,” Witherspoon said in a June video from Sony Pictures. “There’s not a person on earth who hasn’t felt like an outsider. But the story is about finding a way to just save yourself.”
The Draper James founder added: “It’s a wonderful thing to read and enjoy a book, but to make a world come alive … that’s magic.”
Edgar-Jones, for her part, gushed over the role of Kya, saying in the teaser clip, “I fell deeply in love with the world and the character. She’s so resilient and strong. I really wanted to spend some time embodying her.”
The 24-year-old actress previously helped bring to life Sally Rooney’s book Normal People for the 2020 Hulu series. The experience taught her about the pressure that goes into accurately depicting a book character on screen.
“‘This is my second time doing a big book adaptation. I really should stop doing that to myself,” Edgar-Jones told Elle UK in July, smiling over the choice to take on Where the Crawdads Sing.
She also sang Witherspoon’s praises after working alongside her in Louisiana while shooting the movie. “I grew up watching Reese, so it was a big moment,” the Under the Banner of Heaven star added. “She has such an amazing eye for complicated characters and stories that are predominantly female-led.”
Scroll down to learn more about Where the Crawdads Sing’s movie adaptation:
Edgar-Jones and Dickinson, 26, star alongside Taylor John Smith as Tate Walker, Garret Dillahunt as Kya’s Pa, Ahna O’Reilly as her Ma, Joe Chrest as Dr. Cone and David Strathairn as Tom Milton. Jojo Regina portrays a young Kya while Logan Macrae plays her brother, Jodie. Matt Baron/Shutterstock
Where the Crawdads Sing takes place in 1969 when marsh girl Kya Clark is accused of murdering Barkley Cove resident, and the boy she once loved, Chase Andrews. Kya’s life as an outsider — she was abandoned at a young age in the North Carolina marshlands — and unorthodox lifestyle makes her the first, and seemingly only target of the investigation. YouTube
Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine, adapted the 2018 novel, which was previously part of her book club list. The Legally Blonde actress also served as an executive producer on the project alongside Betsy Danbury, Rhoda Fehr and Jon Wu. Aislinn Dunster, Elizabeth Gabler, Lauren Levy Neustadter and Erin Siminoff rounded out the producers list with Bryan Yaconelli working as line producer. Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock
The film hits theaters on Friday, July 15. Sony Pictures Entertainment
The Grammy winner wrote an original song, “Carolina,” for the film, which was released in part in March 2022 alongside the movie’s official trailer. “Where The Crawdads Sing is a book I got absolutely lost in when I read it years ago,” Swift wrote via Instagram at the time. “As soon as I heard there was a film in the works starring the incredible @daisyedgarjones and produced by the brilliant @reesewitherspoon, I knew I wanted to be a part of it from the musical side.” Michael Zorn/Shutterstock
Owens’ 2018 novel topped The New York Times Fiction Best Sellers of 2019 and The New York Times Fiction Best Sellers of 2020 after receiving critical acclaim. As of February 2022, the book had spent 150 weeks on the best sellers list and had sold more than 12 million copies. Penguin Random House
"If I'd told my younger self that Taylor Swift would do a song for something I'm in ... bonkers,” Edgar-Jones told Elle UK in July 2022. Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock
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