Tessa Thompson and Hedda cast on the “fascinating” process of modernising iconic play

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Henrik Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler, written in 1891, has been made into a movie several times, with iconic actresses like Ingrid Bergman, Diana Rigg, and Glenda Jackson playing the lead role. However, Nia DaCosta’s new adaptation is unlike any version seen before.

The new film, simply called Hedda, is a stunning and well-acted update of the classic play. Tessa Thompson gives a standout performance in the title role, with excellent supporting work from Imogen Poots, Nina Hoss, Tom Bateman, and Nicholas Pinnock.

DaCosta’s film remains true to Ibsen’s original play, but the director has made some notable updates, most significantly changing the time and location of the story.

This adaptation moves the story from late 19th century Norway to 1950s London. Director Da Costa felt the original setting would have been too restrictive for the new vision.

Many wonderful and significant things emerged after the difficulties of World War Two, but I believe that era also created a strong sense of restraint, which was particularly noticeable in the 1950s. I thought that would be a really interesting backdrop for this story, and England feels like the perfect setting to explore that theme of repression.

As a film lover, I was really intrigued by the changes director Rebecca DaCosta made. One of the biggest was shifting the entire story to unfold over the course of one wild party hosted by Hedda and George (played by Bateman). It gave the film a fantastic energy! But what I found most interesting was the decision to change the gender of Hedda’s past love interest – a really bold move that definitely adds a new layer to the story.

These developments further excited Thompson about joining the film, as it gave her another chance to work with director DaCosta. They had previously worked together on DaCosta’s first feature film, Little Woods, back in 2018.

The original story told of events happening before the characters returned to the scene. This version, however, unfolds everything in a single night at a party, letting the audience witness it all as it happens.

I was really intrigued by how Nia reimagined the story’s core elements, especially changing the character of Eilert to Eileen. It effectively placed three women at the heart of the narrative, which I found particularly compelling.

Changing the character’s gender not only added a queer perspective to the story, but also created a happy coincidence with the casting. The role was now played by Nina Hoss, a well-known German actress who had previously performed as Hedda Gabler on stage in Berlin.

Thomson says he was surprised to learn she had performed in that production. He’d spent a lot of time looking for recordings of her work, but couldn’t find this one anywhere. It wasn’t until rehearsals began and they started discussing her past roles that she casually mentioned it.

I was so surprised! I asked her what happened, how it happened, and who was involved. When I spoke with her, she didn’t share many details, but she did mention that her friend Hedda is in a band and sings. I thought that was awesome!

For her part, Hoss was very curious to see what Thompson did with her version of the character.

She explains, ‘I always feel like Hedda isn’t owned by any particular interpretation. She’s such a complex and well-developed character that each actor brings their own perspective – their own life experiences, ideas, and feelings – to the role.’

It’s amazing trying to get inside Hedda’s head – I think every actor finds something different they connect with in her. What really struck me was what Tessa said about how Hedda feels like she has to use her charm and femininity to get what she wants. It’s like that actually holds her back, because it stops her from really letting her intelligence and talent shine. It’s fascinating to see how different people interpret that part of her character!

Because she’d already performed in the play, the changes director DaCosta made were especially thrilling for Hoss. She felt like she was seeing an entirely new work, largely because the character of Eilert had been reimagined as Eileen.

Honestly, when I realized this change, it just clicked! I immediately wondered why nobody had thought of it before – it feels so obvious now. It’s one of those things that, as a movie buff, I wish someone had done ages ago.

Nia’s choice to set the story in the 1950s—a time when women faced a lot of social expectations—felt incredibly fresh and like working with completely new ideas. It was really invigorating.

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2025-10-28 14:36