Get Ready for a Judy Blume Boom

The beloved YA author, who wrote about scoliosis, bigotry, and a penis named Ralph with compassion and respect for her young readership’s intelligence, will see her most famous book, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., hit the big screen in April, some 53 years after the book’s initial release. The trailer for the puberty story is out now. It features Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Benny Safdie, and Ant-Man’s Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret, who’s not a girl, not yet a woman, and about to get her period for the first time. Like the original book, the film appears to be set in the ‘70s, and the trailer is giving Virgin Suicides vibes. It had a reported $30 million budget, and Blume had this to say when the casting was announced in 2021:

“As the cast comes together my excitement grows. Abby is funny and tender, strong yet vulnerable. She IS Margaret. And Rachel – wow! – does it get any better? A funny, loving, sexy, real woman who is also a mom. I can’t wait to see these two playing mother and daughter. It all began with trusting [director Kelly Fremon Craig] and [producer James L. Brooks, director of Terms of Endearment and developer of The Simpsons] and they’ve proven how much this project means to them, which means everything to me.”

The 84-year-old Judy will keep blooming with a doc playing at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. In Judy Blume Forever, per the official Sundance site, “the beloved American author candidly shares her own coming-of-age story.” It goes on:

Directors Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok trace Blume’s journey from fearful, imaginative child to storytelling pioneer who elevated the physical and emotional lives of kids and teens, to banned writer who continues to fight back against censorship today. Playful and poignant animations celebrate the magic and awkwardness of being young, while intimate conversations with acclaimed authors and artists reveal Blume’s profound impact on readers. Long-standing fans share open-hearted letters they wrote to Blume over decades.

The documentary’s premiere will take place January 21. What a time to be alive (and sensitive)!