Express & Star
“Forever is composed of nows” and right now, we’re hype.
Hailee Steinfeld (Pitch Perfect, True Grit) is set to star in a new Apple TV series, Dickinson, based on the reclusive, beloved 1800s poet, Emily Dickinson. The TV series will be written and executive produced by Alena Smith (The Affair, The Newsroom) and will be both directed and executive produced by David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express).
Dickinson, whose poems weren’t published until after her death, led a fascinating life of seclusion up until her death in 1866 at age 55. Given that once she reached adulthood, most of Dickenson’s interactions with the outside world were through letters and closed doors, Apple is labeling the series as a coming-of-age story with a modern presence, and will likely focus on her younger years. Steinfeld is 21, but it’s unclear how young the series will portray her. Most high school students on TV are played by 30 year olds, so it wouldn’t be a stretch for her to play a teenage Dickinson.
It’s likely that a vast amount of creative licenses will take place for #drama, which is mildly concerning, as it could end up making a mockery of what little we know about her early life. Dickinson was incredibly close with her older male mentors whom she knew from her father. Their correspondences as depicted in the surviving letters Dickinson wrote don’t seem to have any romantic undertones, but it’s a likely choice for Apple to Hollywood-ify Dickinson’s life with a taboo student/mentor relationship. Death followed the young poet everywhere and there were clearly some mental health issues and depression at play which would make for a much more real, powerful, and impactful storyline to follow. Here’s to hoping we see more of the nitty gritty aspects of Dickinson’s life rather than a sexed-up version of her adolescence when it releases next March.
h/t Tech Crunch
