If you're one of the people who like to read the book before the movie or show comes out, now's your moment. The movie adaptation of the bestseller "Where the Crawdads Sing" is coming out in the summer of 2022.
Delia Owens' debut, first published in 2018, takes place in a North Carolina marsh town in the 1950s and '60s. A hit, the novel has sold over 12 million copies worldwide.
Owens, who was 70 when her debut novel was published, drew from her time as a zoologist in the field to inform the novel’s rich descriptions of the natural world.
Here's what to know about the highly anticipated movie adaptation, which was directed by Olivia Newman (“Dare Me”), based off a screenplay by Lucy Alibar (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”). It was produced by Reese Witherspoon's production company, Hello Sunshine.
It was a literary sensation — but what is 'Where the Crawdads sing' about?
"Where the Crawdads Sing" is the story of one outcast's coming-of-age — plus a murder mystery. Kya Clark is abandoned by her family members, effectively left to raise herself in the swamps of Barklay Cove on the Carolina Coast.
Kya's isolation shapes her: She becomes self-reliant, but longs for company — and she's naive to the workings of society. This makes her all the more vulnerable when she becomes the center of a murder trial.
She's suspected of killing Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson), the town's golden boy.
The cast includes Daisy Edgar Jones as Kya
Daisy Edgar-Jones is no stranger to anticipated literary adaptations — the English actor also starred in "Normal People" on Hulu, based on a Sally Rooney novel.
Kya's life is impacted by three prominent men. Her dad, called Pa, is played by Garret Dillahunt. Tate Walker (Taylor John Smith) teaches Kya how to read, and shows her kindness. Harris Dickinson will play Chase Andrews.
Other cast members include Ahna O’Reilly as Ma David Strathairn as Tom Milton; Eric Ladin as Eric Chastain; and Michael Hyatt as Mabel.
You can hear a new Taylor Swift song in the trailer
Taylor Swift wrote a song for the movie, a portion of which plays over the evocative, moody trailer. “I wanted to create something haunting and ethereal to match this mesmerizing story,” Swift said in an Instagram post promoting the trailer.
The movie comes out in July
The release date is July 15, 2022, about a year after filing wrapped. Edgar-Jones commemorated the occasion with a post on Instagram. "I can’t wait for you to see Kya’s marsh in all its glory," she wrote.
You can watch it exclusively in theaters
"Where the Crawdads Sing" will come to theaters starting July 15. No word on a potential streaming schedule.