19 most anticipated films by women in 2019

HOLLYWOOD, CA – MARCH 04: Dee Rees attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The Last Thing He Wanted (TBA)

The Plot: Based on the Joan Didion novel of the same name, the film follows a journalist (Anne Hathaway) who quits her job to become an arms dealer.

It’s been far too long since Hollywood adapted one of Joan Didion’s novels and already I’m pumped to see what a Didion adaptation looks like under the eyes of director Dee Rees. Rees’ two previous features, 2011’s Pariah and the 2017 drama Mudbound, both received critical attention upon release. The latter was a huge coup for Netflix — and it was the only studio that offered to purchase Mudbound! — and it’s no surprise that Rees is bringing this new film to the streaming giant.

The Last Thing He Wanted’s cast is stacked with lead Anne Hathaway playing lead character Elena McMahon. Hathaway has become a bit of a noir queen, between her roles in Ocean’s 8 and the utterly bonkers Serenity, so look for this to be another old-school femme fatale role, with a dose of Didion’s trademark wit thrown in. Hathaway’s joined by Ben Affleck, Willem Dafoe, and Rosie Perez.

If you haven’t read the book, now’s the perfect time to get in on it. Fingers crossed this sees a resurgence of Didion’s work being adapted by women in Hollywood.