Where The Crawdads Sing Trailer: The Marsh Girl Gets A Taylor Swift Theme Song

The haunting tale of "Where The Crawdads Sing" caught the attention of readers around the world when it first arrived on shelves in 2018. The novel quickly rocketed up the New York Times bestseller list as folks poured over the mysterious premise and lyrical prose, and it just so happened that among its many fans was Reese Witherspoon — the actress and producer who has proven she has an eye for choosing novels that belong onscreen. After the success of "Big Little Lies" and "Little Fires Everywhere," Witherspoon signed on to produce the film adaptation and at long last, it's almost time to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

Don't expect to see any mothers in mid-life crisis mode — the latest tale from Witherspoon's adaptation streak follows a mysterious young woman, played by "Normal People" alum Daisy Edgar-Jones. Our first look at the film arrived earlier this month and promised lots of solitude and grazing in fields, but also hinted at a dark secret swirling around the movie's center. Not only does the trailer hint at some clues, it even shows us a glimpse of a body. Yes, Crawdads is another murder mystery — but seems a lot quieter and emotional than its TV counterparts. And since no mystery would be complete without a pitch-perfect soundtrack, we also get the perfect song for the occasion: our first trailer for "Where The Crawdads Sing" features a new original track from musical icon and accomplished director Taylor Swift. The song, "Carolina," is a reference to the North Carolina setting and is reminiscent of Swift's twin albums, "Folklore" and "Evermore," with a suitably haunting tone.

The real mystery of "Where The Crawdads Sing" is why the entire town of Barkley Cove chose to ignore the fact that an abandoned little girl was surviving on her own in the nearby marsh. Shouldn't someone have alerted the authorities? Or, I dunno, helped her? But let's not overestimate the small town, because based on the trailer, they have no interest in helping Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones), the resilient young woman at the center of the film.

Catherine Danielle Clark goes by Kya but the town simply refers to her as "Marsh Girl," a not-so-affectionate nickname for the weird girl who haunts the otherwise quiet town just by existing. But if being ostracized for her differences seems bad, try this: the town goes from whispering behind her back to yelling in her face when Kya becomes entangled with a young man who winds up mysteriously dead. Assuming she's to blame, the community puts Kya on trial. 

Olivia Newman ("First Match") directs the big-screen adaptation of the Delia Owens novel, with Oscar-nominated screenwriter Lucy Alibar ("Beasts of the Southern Wild") behind the script. Along with Edgar-Jones, "Where the Crawdads Sing" stars Taylor John Smith ("Sharp Objects") as Tate Walker, Harris Dickinson ("The King's Man") as Chase Andrews, Michael Hyatt ("Snowfall") as Mabel, Sterling Macer, Jr. ("Double Down") as Jumpin', and David Strathairn ("Nomadland") as Tom Milton.

"Where The Crawdads Sing" will makes its theatrical debut on July 22, 2022. Here's the official synopsis:

From the best-selling novel comes a captivating mystery. Where the Crawdads Sing tells the story of Kya, an abandoned girl who raised herself to adulthood in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina. For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" haunted Barkley Cove, isolating the sharp and resilient Kya from her community. Drawn to two young men from town, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world; but when one of them is found dead, she is immediately cast by the community as the main suspect. As the case unfolds, the verdict as to what actually happened becomes increasingly unclear, threatening to reveal the many secrets that lay within the marsh.