A handy guide to almost all of the ‘Little Women’ adaptations

Jo March once grumbled while lying on a rug that Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without any presents. Luckily, Sony Pictures dropped a trailer Tuesday afternoon reminding everyone of the holiday present that awaits us all: Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women,” due for a Dec. 25 release. The film, which reunites Gerwig with “Lady Bird” actors Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet, also stars Meryl Streep, Laura Dern, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, and Eliza Scanlen.

Gerwig’s is a regift of sorts, considering that this will technically be the eighth version of Alcott’s 1868 novel to appear on the big screen. Across all mediums, including everything from television to stage adaptations, it’s something like the 20th adaptation — proving just how timeless sisters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March’s experiences of growing up and finding love, sometimes reluctantly, truly are.

In anticipation of Ronan’s vivacity and Chalamet’s flippy hair and Streep’s sassiness, here’s a look back at 14 other times the coming-of-age drama has played out on screen. “Little Women” hive, assemble!

The 1917 and 1918 silent films
British director Alexander Butler’s “Little Women,” the first-ever adaptation of Alcott’s Civil War-era story, is said to be a lost film, meaning it is no longer known to exist in public or private archives. It starred actress Ruby Miller, a Gaiety Girl, or a well-regarded chorus girl in Edwardian musical comedies.