Once upon a time, Lena Dunham was a lightning rod for all sorts of takes — good, bad, indifferent, angry, happy, whatever. But after a lengthy absence from screens small and large (remember, Girls went off the air almost half-a-decade ago), 2022 seems to be her year. She’s released two films, both of which have or will play at the largest festivals in the country, and her latest, Catherine Called Birdy, is a pretty significant departure from her previous work (the less said about Sharp Stick, the better). It’s set in the Middle Ages, for one, based on a popular novel by Karen Cushman, and doesn’t seem to have any of her family members in the cast. These are big developments if you’re familiar with her work. Prime Video dropped a trailer for the release earlier on Wednesday, and it looks… interesting!
Take a look:
Here’s a synopsis, which lends credence to the belief that Amazon pays their copywriters by the word:
“The year? 1290. In the Medieval English village of Stonebridge, Lady Catherine (known as Birdy) is the youngest child of Lord Rollo and the Lady Aislinn. Her playground is Stonebridge Manor, a house that, like the family, has seen better days. Financially destitute and utterly greedy, Rollo sees his daughter as his path out of financial ruin by marrying her off to a wealthy man for money and land. But Birdy, like all the great teen heroines, is spirited, clever, and adventurous, and ready to put off any suitor that comes calling in increasingly ingenious ways. Her imagination, defiance, and deep belief in her own right to independence put her on a collision course with her parents. When the vilest suitor of all arrives, they are presented with the ultimate test of love for their daughter.”
Catherine Called Birdy will premiere at TIFF next month, and we’ll probably have a review of it around then. But don’t fret: it’ll be in theaters on September 23, and you can expect to see it streaming everywhere on Prime Video on October 7.