The Where the Crawdads Sing Netflix movie adaptation is definitely underway, and the project seems to be moving along smoothly. Netflix has also set a tentative release date. Here’s what we know about the Where the Crawdads Sing movie:
What’s it about?
Where the Crawdads Sing is the fictional story of Kya, a girl who grows up in a shack in the marshlands of North Carolina. Though she is an outsider, through a number of personal struggles and difficulties Kya manages to survive and create a life for herself. However, when the body of a local hotshot is discovered, Kya becomes the prime suspect.
It’s a coming of age story entwined with a crime drama, and it tells a tale about resilience, survival and hope.
After its release on August 18, 2018, Reese Witherspoon chose the book as her book club selection for September 2018, which gave it a boost in visibility. The inclusion in Reese’s Book Club launched it to the top of the bestseller lists. As of March 2019, Where the Crawdads Sing had sold over 1.5 million copies and by July 2020, nearly 6 million.
See the Full Summary and Review for Where the Crawdads Sing.
Reese Witherspoon on set with the Cast of Where the Crawdads Sing
What format will the adaptation be?
It’s planned as a movie, to be released by Sony Pictures.
What’s the status of the Where the Crawdads Sing adaptation?
Where The Crawdads Sing has a release date set for July 2022. See the link to the trailer below! The movie was filmed in New Orleans around 4/26/2021 – 6/25/2021.
When will it be released?
It’s expected to be released in July 2022.
Is there a trailer or teaser available?
The trailer was released on March 22, 2022.
Who’s in the cast?
Daisy Edgar-Jones has been cast as Kya. Edgar-Jones previous starred in Hulu’s adaptation of Normal People.
Since casting began in October 2020, others have signed on to the cast including Taylor John Smith and Harris Dickinson.
Daisy Edgar-Jones
See the full casting details on IMDB (when available).
Who’s behind it?
Elizabeth Gabler and Erin Siminoff of 3000 Pictures are overseeing the Where the Crawdads Sing adaptation. 3000 Pictures is a Sony label that is a joint partnership among Gabler, HarperCollins and Sony Pictures. The purpose of it is to generate content from literary material, mainly from the HarperCollins catalog, for all platforms.
Gabler is a highly respected film executive who has been responsible for a slew of successful literary adaptations such as The Devil Wears Prada, Life of Pi, and Hidden Figures. She leads a female-dominated team that was described as “the only female locker room in town.”
Hello Sunshine’s Reese Witherspoon along with Lauren Levy Neustadter will serve as producers for the film version of Where the Crawdads Sing, a book which Witherspoon helped to catapult into fame.
The project was formerly at Fox 2000, with Gabler and Siminoff overseeing. However, after the Fox-Disney merger, Disney decided to shutter Fox 2000, and Elizabeth Gabler departed for Sony (and apparently took this project along with her).
In July 2020, Olivia Newman was tapped to the direct the adaptation. Newman previously wrote and directed Netflix’s feature movie First Match. Lucy Alibar has also been announced as the screenwriter for the adaptation. She previously penned the script for Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Screenwriter Lucy Alibar was nominated for an Oscar for Beasts of the Southern Wild
Where The Crawdads Sing Movie Development Timeline
August 14, 2018 Where The Crawdads Sing (novel) is released.
September 1, 2018 Where The Crawdads Sing is chosen for Reese Witherspoon’s September 2018 Book Club pick.
December 7, 2018 Deadline reports that Fox 2000 will beadapting the film version of Where the Crawdads Sing and that Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine (her production company) will be producing it.
March 14, 2019 G. Putnam and Sons (book publisher) notes via twitter that Delia Owens has met with Reese Witherspoon about the movie plans.
#WhereTheCrawdadsSing author Delia Owens met with @RWitherspoon yesterday to talk about movie plans! pic.twitter.com/Xjkrj5iRK1
— G. P. Putnam's Sons (@PutnamBooks) March 14, 2019
May 1, 2019 Delia Owens notes in an interview that a screenwriter is currently working on a script, but she’s not at liberty to divulge who it is.
July 15, 2019 Elizabeth Gabler of Fox 2000 moves to Sony as part of a multiplatform production deal with Sony and HarperCollins (and apparently takes this project with her)
September 27, 2019 Delia Owens notes in an interview that the screenwriter has “almost completed the first draft of the screenplay”.
March 11, 2020 Lucy Alibar announced as the screenwriter for the adaptation of the Where The Crawdads Sing screenplay
July 21, 2020 ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ Movie Adaptation Finds Its Director
July 24, 2020 Where the Crawdads Sing officially in pre-production.
October 11, 2020 Delia Owens announces on Facebook that casting details with be forthcoming soon.
Announcement on October 11, 2020
October 21, 2020 ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’: ‘Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones Set As Lead In Film Adaptation From 3000 Pictures, Hello Sunshine & Sony
January 2021 The Where the Crawdads Sing adaptation has its own Instagram account @crawdadsmovie
January 25, 2021 ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’: Taylor John Smith And Harris Dickinson Join Film Adaptation For 3000 Pictures, Hello Sunshine And Sony
March 2021 “Where the Crawdads Sing” reported to be filming in New Orleans through June 2021
April 2021 Netflix acquires the streaming rights.
March 22, 2022 Trailer released.
Oh I didn’t know there was a movie coming. I liked the book so I’ll have to keep my eyes open
How cool. Look forward to seeing it when it comes out.
this is awesome news – I had no idea a movie was coming… thanks for posting this!
You spelled Kaya wrong throughout this entire book review.
are you reading the book in english? it’s Kya in the american version.
I’ve just read the book and Kya is definitely spelt Kya! I’m in the UK. Just found out about the upcoming film & I’m delighted. The book was one of the best I’ve read in a long, long time!
Can’t wait!!!! Best book ever written…..
I enjoyed the book a lot too!
i hope they cast lily collins as kya!!
Margaret Qually would be great as the older Kya. She’s got such a quirky vulnerable beauty. Julia Butters perhaps the younger version. Maybe Timothee Chalamet as Tate .. with lightened hair or maybe Chase. Darren Criss as Chase? Love playing the casting game! Just hope strong actors are chosen with a great screenplay!
Kya is such a compelling character, needing to be both innocent and alluring, skiddish and confident, so I’ve been racking my brain about who could possibly play her… this is made especially difficult because of the very specific willowy and dark-eyed physical beauty required for casting, and that the story follows the character from young child to adult – but I finally figured it out!
Dafne Keen would be phenomenal as Kya as a young girl, and Lily Collins as her adult self. Although Lily Collins is already in her 30s, she has such a youthful face so could still play teenage Kya convincingly. Second choice would be Mackenzie Foy, who though very young (18 years old I believe?) has a face that could convincingly be the adult, courtroom Kya.
Somebody get this casting info to Reese Witherspoon stat!
Gal Gadot should play Kya!
Unmmmm, no on Gail Gadot. I still can’t get past her playing Wonder Woman, who was an American super hero, not European!
I can’t wait to see the finished product 😍
So excited!! I just finished the book and was saying I would love to see this made into a movie ! It was the best book I have read in a long time I love that it continued at the end to tell us what happen . Absolutely can’t wait for the movie !
Just finished this great book cannot wait for the movie. Guessing until the end…
If possible, I think Angelina Jolie, would make a great kya .. in the movie
Julia Garner is Kya-hands down. Mark my words. Listen up casting directors
Any update on this?? Would love to see it!!
This has to be the best book I have ever read.
I can’t wait to see the movie, if the movie theaters ever open again due to Covid-19
Maybe Hailee Steinfeld as Kya…
I can’t agree with Ms. Seinfeld as Kya. Now that the news is out that Kya will be played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, I could not be happier. I loved the book every time I read it and I also loved Normal People, both the book and the mini series. Ms Edgar-Jones was brilliant as Marianne Sheridan in Normal People and I feel very good about her being cast as Kya in Crawdads. She will mix the right amount of minimally educated but sophisticated Kya with a more mature Kya who is self-educated in the art of staying alive as well as a brilliant self-educated naturalist. Mainly though, she will bring us a completely self-sufficient and self-reliant
young woman, smart way beyond her years with a moral compass we should all strive for. I wish I did not have to wait until June. Oh well, I can console myself with another reading of the brilliant novel. Congratulations to Ms Edgar-Jones, to Ms Witherspoon, and, of course, congratulations and thanks to Ms Owens.
-Randy Johnson
After I read this wonderful story I immediately wanted a film. Which must have the beautifulness of Kya’s description of her habitat and all the wonder of the nature which she is part of
I absolutely loved the book “ Where the Crawdads Sing.” I can’t wait for the movie…I keep checking on the progress and have my fingers crossed it will be out soon!
Emily Blunt would be perfect for the part. She has a great look and is a wonderful actress.
ooo I could see that though her accent might be a bit posh for the role
Loved the book – looking forward to the movie. Will need several actresses for Kya and Tate, due the long timeline.
Could be filmed out of Wilmington, NC. We have a production facility here.
Tyler Childers really needs to be the songwriter/singer for this film. He’s a PERFECT FIT! And I want to be cast as the mom!
Just loved the book….can’t wait for the movie
I am still in the midst of the audible of this book, as I listen whilst I work and drive to/from home and during my cleaning at home. I ADORE this book and the author’s vision for Kya, it was well authored. I imagine Kya, the characters, her shack in the Marshlands, the insects and birds, the gulls… I picture it all as non-fiction. I can’t wait to see who is fostered for this screenplay.. I agree w the year old comments.. Dafne Keen as a young Kya, and Lilly Collins or Julia Garner as teenager Kya. Down to her boat, the feather rock that Tate leaves feathers for her, her family.. I hope to see this all come to life as similar as possible to the book. That is one reason I love that Reese is producing this adaptation, bc she seems to fit her movies to the books very well. I am a year late as of the announcement, but over a month ago the adaptation was already in pre-production! I’m excited to see this. I will def be purchasing a physical copy.
Anyone know of any other books as good of a read as thi?
This book is amazing and beautiful. The best book ever. Will never part with it!
Is there a bookclub questions review?
Can’t wait for the movie…don’t make it R rated, please!
I have read the book three times and each time I get something new from it. In many ways it mirrors my own life but in different ways, People can be alone in different ways and still not alone and also achieve things way beyond what was expected of them. They can have a background that in most people would bring them down to less than failure. Sometmes I have wondered if a drnken father is worse living with you or being an ever fornever dad. I look at my siblings. I was the only one to go beyond the ninth grade and I went on to get two MS degrees, one in biology. I too loved the life that was not people but that of nature. I did not make displays and draings and paintings but I hope that I put photographs of the wonders of life in the minds of my students and others. I now live alone but am not lonely. I have painted and photographed. I have been retired (from employment) but my learninng of the wondes and mysteries of life will go on until the day I croak.
Julia Garner would have won an award had she been cast as Kya. She is brilliant and would find nuances and levels no one can touch! She has the face of an angel and the fire someone raising themselves in a marsh would have to have. Maybe it’s too close to her character in Ozark? What a shame. She could have differentiated so much we would forget she was in Ozark.
Any updates?
Looking forward to the film. The book is superb. Would also love some one to do a remake of the book Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy. Possibly a series?
There was a screening in Dallas tonight a friend saw, they had to sign NDAs so couldn’t tell me anything about it
Just saw the movie last night! It was great. I’ve never read the book but i did read your book review. A few questions:
1) It appears the poem about Chase is different in the book vs the movie. In the book it waa called the firefly… i believe it was something else in the movie Am i right??
2) Isn’t it possible that Kyq has an accomplice?