After last night’s Spirit Award screening of Winter’s Bone, I had a chance to speak with the film’s director, Debra Granik. When asked about her upcoming projects, she expressed surprise over reports that she and her creative partner, Anne Rosellini, were developing a Pippi Longstocking adaptation. She explained that while she has a deep love for the iconic tomboy, and is seeking out works featuring strong female protagonists to adapt, she had no plans to bring Pippi to the big screen at this time. Her admitted enthusiasm and affection for the winsome and bold heroine was mistaken for more concrete intentions. While hesitant to speak on what would be her follow-up to her acclaimed Ozarks noir, she mentioned she had several projects in development but she and Rosellini haven’t yet decided which would be most prudent to pursue next.
Hopefully, after awards season has come and gone Winter’s Bone, which was one of my favorite films of the year, will have won the accolades it deserves, and Granik will have no trouble mounting whichever of her envisioned productions she wishes.
With her penchant for strong and complex female protagonists, which story would you like to see Granik take on?