PIPPI LONGSTOCKING Returning To The Screen From WINTER’S BONE Director
A big screen adaptation of Pippi Longstocking is currently in development by Winter’s Bone director Debra Granik. I loved Winter’s Bone and Granik is an incredibly talented director. Her choice to direct this film is definitely a surprising one!
Pippi Longstocking was originally a Swedish children’s book that was published back in 1945. It introduced the world to a 9-year-old girl with trademark red hair and pigtails. Sequel books followed and spawned both multiple television series and feature films.
For those of you not familiar with the character, here is a description:
Pippi is unconventional, assertive, and has superhuman strength, being able to lift her horse one-handed without difficulty. She frequently mocks and dupes adults she encounters, an attitude likely to appeal to young readers; however, Pippi usually reserves her worst behavior for the most pompous and condescending of adults. She turns white around the nose whenever she gets angry, though this rarely happens. Pippi’s anger is reserved for the most extreme cases, such as when a man ill-treats his horse. Like Peter Pan, Pippi does not want to grow up.
I remember watching the original films when I was younger. Pippi is an incredibly interesting character that can easily work with today’s audiences. Granik did a fabulous job with a an unconventional and assertive female character in Winter’s Bone played by Jennifer Lawrence. I am sure Granik will do a great job and be find a very creative way to bring this character back to life.
Here is what she had to say in an interview with the LA Times:
As a kid, I got really envious of men’s coming of age in movies. Their knowledge of darkness would grow, their compassion would grow, whatever it was, it felt like they would gain something, and the female coming of age often was punitive, like an unwanted pregnancy. We’re all like, ‘Oh God, I’m so glad I’m not her.’
What are your thoughts of seeing Pippi on the big screen again?
The Author
