Lionsgate has emerged the victor of a “heated bidding war” for the film rights to “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret,” The Hollywood Reporter confirms. In other words, we’re one step closer to seeing 11-year-old Margaret Simon discussing everything from periods and bras to spirituality in Kelly Fremon Craig’s big screen adaptation of Judy Blume’s classic novel.
Published in 1970, “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” tells the story of a sixth grader who moves from New York City to the suburbs of Farbrook, New Jersey. Margaret is the child of an interfaith relationship, and while she bonds with her new friends over plenty, they struggle to connect when it comes to religion.
Lionsgate “transformed a conference room into an 11-year-old girl’s bedroom” complete with pics of execs as 11-year-olds in an effort to win over Fremon Craig.
“This title was an anthem when we first read it as teens, and it remains timeless and relevant because nothing has captured the coming-of-age experience with the same authenticity, truth, and respect. For that reason, Judy Blume is a beacon for women and girls. Kelly Fremon Craig is a filmmaker we have adored and chased for years, and [producer] James L Brooks is a hero to us all,” said Lionsgate president of production Erin Westerman. “Together, they delivered an adaptation that captures all the scope and potential of the title; the themes of identity, loneliness, confidence, and kindness are urgent, ageless, and more necessary today than ever before.”
Fremon Craig added, “I could not be more honored to bring Margaret to the screen alongside my two biggest heroes, Jim Brooks and Judy Blume, and the fiercely passionate team at Gracie Films. Lionsgate swept us away with their resounding passion for this book and what it has meant to generations,” she emphasized.
A limited series based on Blume’s “Summer Sisters” is in the works at Hulu with “Little Fires Everywhere” showrunner Liz Tigelaar attached to pen the script.
Fremon Craig made her directorial debut with 2016’s Hailee Steinfeld-starrer “The Edge of Seventeen,” a critically acclaimed coming-of-age pic. “It seems like opportunities [for women filmmakers] may be opening up more. I don’t know what needs to be done exactly to increase those further — I wish I did,” Fremon Craig told us ahead of the film’s premiere. “My hope, though, is that the more the world sees women doing it successfully, the more opportunities open up, creating a sort of snowballing forward momentum. I hope in some small way this film contributes to that.”
