Premiering at TIFF and later on Prime Video, the film brings a new spin on Henrik Ibsen’s iconic and complex character…
Fireworks. Drama. Champagne. Chaos. Sapphic yearning. That is what the two minute trailer for Tessa Thompson’s latest film Hedda promises. The film, directed and written by Nia DaCosta, will make its world premiere at TIFF on September 7, before making its way to theatres and then Prime Video on October 29.
Based on Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen, the latest adaptation stars Tessa Thompson (Thor: Love and Thunder), Nina Hoss (Tár), Imogen Poots (All of You), Tom Bateman (Based on a True Story) and Nicholas Pinnock (Long Bright River).
Set in mid-century England, Hedda is torn between the lingering ache of a past love and the quiet suffocation of her present life. Set over one night, long repressed desires and hidden tension erupt pulling everyone into a spiral of manipulation, passion and betrayal.
Who is Hedda?
Written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in the 1800s, Hedda has been described as one of the greatest dramatic theatre roles. Some have even called the character a female version of Hamlet. Ibsen presents Hedda as a selfish individual bored with her life. Craving power and control she manipulates her former lover into ending his life.
In the 2025 version, DaCosta presents Hedda’s lover as a woman. Her queer spin is an exciting reimagining of the beloved and complex character.
“Hedda is an inscrutable character,” DaCosta told Vanity Fair. “And since the beginning, for the past hundred years, people have been like, ‘What the fuck is her deal?’”
Has Hedda been adapted before?
Thompson is the latest actress to take on the role of the title character. The world premiere of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler was staged on January 31, 1891 in Munich, Germany.
Given it was written for stage, the character has largely been featured in theatre productions. Maggie Smith, Isabelle Huppert, Annette Bening, Cate Blanchett, Rosamund Pike and Mary-Louise Parker have all portrayed the character on stage.
On screen, Ingrid Bergman and Diana Rigg’s have played Hedda. Glenda Jackson’s role as the character earned the two-time Oscar winning actress her final nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards.
While Thompson has some big shoes to fill, we’re excited to see how she brings this queer version of Hedda to life.
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