The New 'Dickinson' Teaser Has Hailee Steinfeld Bringing 2019 Energy To The 1800s
Get ready to see Emily Dickinson in a whole new light, because Apple TV+'s new series Dickinson is reimagining the 19th century poet as a rebellious, hard-partying youth who would totally fit in with the millennials and Gen Zers of today. The newly released trailer for the anachronistic series shows Hailee Steinfeld letting loose as the iconic poet, and it will probably have many viewers wondering what Apple TV+'s Dickinson is about. After all, it is not like you come across a lot of TV shows about famous poets from the 1800s that feel like they've been transported to 2019.
The wild new series will tell the imagined coming-of-age story of the seminal poet Emily Dickinson, who lived from 1830 to 1886 in Massachusetts. But instead of portraying the 19th century as stuffy and proper as most movie and TV fans are accustomed to, Dickinson will imbue Emily Dickinson's story with a modern sensibility and tone, making her much more relatable to today's viewers. Per Apple's description, "Dickinson audaciously explores the constraints of society, gender, and family from the perspective of rebellious young poet Emily Dickinson."
The newly released Dickinson trailer gives fans a first taste of this bold new series. The trailer shows Hailee Steinfeld as Dickinson rebelling against societal expectations by busting out some dance moves and pulling some not-very-"ladylike" faces. All the while, her parents, played by Jane Krakowski and Toby Huss, bemoan how their daughter won't "behave like a proper young lady." Check out the rollicking trailer below:
Although many people may imagine Emily Dickinson as a quiet, reserved woman, this new TV series may actually be closer to a portrayal of the real Dickinson than today's widespread opinion of the poet. More recent scholars have argued that Dickinson may have actually been much more boisterous and fiery than most people have come to believe. In fact, Dickinson will not even be the first project to portray the poet as a rebellious and passionate woman rather than a shy recluse. Earlier in 2019, the Molly Shannon film Wild Nights with Emily did something very similar, although it did not go full-tilt into the 21st century vibes like Dickinson will.
The show's newly created Instagram account doubles down on transforming Emily Dickinson into an emoji-loving millennial, posting images from the show with emojis superimposed on them and using modern slang like "get turnt."
Although it has not been confirmed, it looks like the central element of Dickinson will be Emily Dickinson's rumored romance with a woman named Sue Gilbert. In real life, Gilbert was a fellow writer who married Dickinson's older brother Austin, but many scholars believe the poet carried on a romance of her own with Gilbert, based on various love letters. Ella Hunt will play Gilbert in Dickinson, and the trailer shows a few moments between her and Steinfeld's Dickinson that suggest the show will explore a love story.
There is no exact release date for Dickinson yet, as the teaser just reveals that the show will debut on Apple TV+ this fall. Apple TV+ will launch in November, so expect Dickinson to debut around that time.
